Elderly couple's home ransacked, thieves leave bloodstain

DETROIT (WJBK) - An elderly couple returned to their Detroit home to find it ransacked and their money gone.

But the thieves left something behind in the west side break-in that could help police solve the case.

"When you walk in your house and you come in here and it's destroyed," said Rosa Brown. "I just can't do this anymore."

Rosa Brown has lived in this house on Foley for 48 years and this is the first time it doesn't feel like home.

"I've been violated," she said. "If my husband had been here and they would've come in, I don't know what would've happened. He's 83 years old."

Brown was with her husband at a hospital when someone broke in Monday, stealing jewelry, a computer tower, TVs, long guns, a safe and cash.

"I had $450 in here to pay for my bills and I don't have any money in here now," Brown said. "I got my light bill to pay. My other bills need to be paid and I don't have any more money. My husband only gets a check once a month and we're on a fixed income."

Brown believes whoever ransacked her home may have been keeping tabs on her and her husband. They've been here long enough to watch the neighborhood crumble around them.

"The houses next door I have asked and called people to come and get those houses torn down," said Brown. "I'm the only person in this block."

Whoever broke into the house came in through a window and in the process cut either their leg or arm and even went into the bathroom to clean up the wound.

Detroit police's crime scene unit collected blood samples, hoping they get a positive hit on the suspect.

"This is a senseless crime and I hope whoever did it will get caught," said William Brown, the couple's son. "Everybody deserves to have a little peace of mind, and you just violated my mom's for no reason I don't understand any reason why.

FOX 2 reached out to the Detroit Land Bank to get those abandoned houses torn down but the Brown's home falls outside the zone where the city gets grant money to demolish blighted properties. They are working to change that.

In the meantime if you have any information about that break in please call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.