"Told him I have HIV:" 88-year-old woman thwarts sexual assault during home invasion; suspect flees



CHESTER COUNTY, Pennsylvania -- An 88-year-old woman relied on quick thinking to ward off a home intruder. She said he tried to sexually assault her after breaking into her home in February.

Helen Reynolds should not be underestimated.

On February 17th around 3:00 p.m., she had just returned from the store when a young man knocked at her door.

“He pushed himself in,” she said.

This began a burglary and assault that would last three hours.

Reynolds said the man started by rummaging for cash, taking just $40 before duct taping her hands, head and mouth.

“I said 'would you do this to your mother -- to bother her like you are doing me?'" Reynolds said.

“Shhh,” the suspect told the woman.

According to Reynolds, the suspect removed her clothing and threw her face first onto the bed. She tried to kick him in the groin.

“Maybe I really hurt him. I don’t know and I really don’t care,” Reynolds said.

The 88-year-old then said she relied on quick thinking to ward off a sexual assault.

“That’s when I told him that I had HIV and my husband died of it, which is a lie. He didn’t bother me. That’s when he got out his piece of wire that he had in his pocket with the tape and everything and tied my ankles together,” Reynolds said.

This violent incident occurred just five days before a similar home invasion that took place 14 miles away in East Brandywine Township, Pennsylvania. That’s where police say a 72-year-old woman was knocked out, bound and beaten by a young male intruder.

Investigators say the suspect fled with the victim’s vehicle. The woman, who had been locked in a closet, was not found for four days. She was immediately hospitalized.

Once the suspect fled Reynolds’ home, she was able to chew through the duct tape and alert a neighbor.

While police have not yet made an arrest in the two cases, they have indicated that there is no immediate threat to the public.