B.C. advocate relieved arrests made in ‘abhorrent’ attack that killed Vancouver senior
Posted February 3, 2021 1:38 pm.
Last Updated February 3, 2021 1:39 pm.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A sense of relief that arrests have been made in the fatal attack of a 78-year-old woman at her Vancouver home won’t take away an unnerving feeling in the community, says the province’s advocate for seniors.
Isobel Mackenzie says the tragic death has shattered the sense of security for many seniors and vulnerable people.
“This is abhorrent. It’s going to unnerve a lot of people, which is very unfortunate,” she tells NEWS 1130. “That’s what’s good about the fact they’ve apprehended the people because there’ll be a sense of, ‘Okay, we’ve caught them and they’re not out there preying on more people,’ but it will also unnerve people.”
Usha Singh opened her door to two men believed to be posing as police officers Sunday morning around 6 a.m. They attacked her in her home, where she lived alone, near Queen Elizabeth Park. She was likely laying there for hours before police found her when they were called for a wellness check.
Singh was gravely injured and died as a result on Tuesday, the same day the arrests were made.
Isobel Mackenzie tells @NEWS1130 seniors who live alone are vulnerable.
“Most people are hesitant to answer the door at night, but during the day, when two people in a uniform knock on your door, most people would respond by answering.” @vancouverpd @SrsAdvocateBC @NEWS1130
— Marcella Bernardo (@Bernardo1130) February 3, 2021
Mackenzie explains seniors are more likely to be victimized in similar crimes because they typically live alone and are often more trusting, especially of someone dressed as a police officer knocking on their door.
“You’re going to see, certainly, during daytime hours, people answering their door. This is a generation that grew up in a more friendly world where you did that,” she says.
Mackenzie says research conducted by her staff shows more seniors are getting assaulted every year, and in 2019, the Vancouver Police Department reported 234 cases involving attacks against people older than 65.
