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 News Archive 2016








The country's oldest park ranger returned to work after surviving a horrific robbery in her home
by Nathan'ette Burdine: July 15, 2016
 


94-year-old Betty Reid Soskin is the country’s oldest National Park Ranger.

On Tuesday, she returned to work after surviving a horrific robbery in her home.

During a press conference, Soskin told everyone that she “wanted to get back into routine life.”

She also told KTVU that many people had offered to relocate her but that she needed “to reclaim” her space and that she is “going to stay” in her home.

Two weeks ago during the early morning hours, a young white male in his mid-20s entered Soskin’s home through a glass door.

And when she awoke, she saw him standing over her. The two got into a tussle after she reached for her cell phone.

The man yanked her out of bed and dragged her down the hallway. Soskin told KTVU that she believed the man wanted to kill her and that he punched her several times “with all his might.”

She was able to escape his grasp and lock herself in the bathroom. While in the bathroom, Soskin plugged in an iron and set it to the hottest level so that she could give him a good ol’ fashion branding: “I plugged it in and set it to linen which is the hottest. I figured if he would come in I would brand him and that would mark him for the police.”

Although the suspect never went into the bathroom, he did manage to steal several of Soskin’s items.

And one of the items he stole was a commemorative coin that President Obama gave to Soskin.

Soskin told KTVU that the coin was very special to her and that she would consider forgiving the man who robbed and beat her if she “can get that coin back.”

Upon hearing about Soskin’s ordeal, the U.S. Secretary of Interior Sally Jewell told Soskin’s boss, Superintendent Tom Leatherman, that President Obama will give Soskin another coin.

Soskin’s colleagues have raised greater than $50,000.00 for her. The money will be used to buy Soskin a new iPad, iPhone, computer, and any other items that she needs.

The money will also be used to pay for a documentary about Soskin’s life.




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