Elderly man punched, robbed by two suspects at Hercules park

HERCULES, Calif. -- An elderly man was attacked and robbed by two teenage suspects while walking in a Hercules park this morning, according to police.

Police said the 71-year-old man was crossing a footbridge in Refugio Valley Park a short time before 9 a.m. and greeted two teen boys who were crossing the bridge in the opposite direction.

The man was about to leave the bridge when one of the teens punched him in the face and knocked him to the ground, police said.

Police said one of the teens grabbed the man's wallet from his pants pocket and the two suspects ran from the scene, heading out of the park towards Sycamore Avenue.

Officers searched the area a short time later but did not find the suspects.

Paramedics treated the victim at the scene for a minor facial injury but he did not require hospitalization.

Police said the suspects were both described as black males between 16 and 18 years old with thin builds, dark complexions and short black hair. The first boy was described as being about 5 feet tall and was wearing a white T-shirt and white baseball hat at the time of the robbery while the second suspect was described as being about 5 feet 9 inches tall and was wearing a black T-shirt, according to police.

Anyone who may have witnessed the strong-arm robbery or has information about the case is asked to call Hercules police at (510) 724-1111 or Detective Robert Pesmark at (510) 799-8223.