Elderly woman beaten, hospitalized following SJ home invasion

An elderly widow is in critical condition in a San Jose hospital after two men beat her viciously during a home invasion robbery. Her injuries were so severe, however, that she could not provide their description.

Crime scene technicians spent hours dusting for prints outside and inside to see if they can pinpoint who broke into Flo Douglas's house and beat up the 88-year-old widow who lived alone. Investigators say the two suspects, both Hispanic men, beat her once, then returned and beat her a second time.

Neighbors who have known her for decades are aghast.

"She was the sweetest lady I've known. She always went out of her way to say hello to every single person on this street whether she knew them or not. She would drive by. She'd give a little wave," said neighbor Janelle Silva.



Douglas is in intensive care, suffering from trauma to her face and head. A neighbor who saw her said Douglas's eyes were swollen shut.

"If you're going to rob somebody, rob them. Don't beat them up, especially someone as helpless as that. It's ridiculous. It shows a very particularly bad element to the person," Chris Dilley, a neighbor.

Mrs. Douglas has talked to detectives from her hospital bed but could not provide detailed descriptions of the two suspects.

"It seemed like they were just tearing through the house trying to find anything of value and also the reason why took jewelry from her, just looking for anything of value and ended up stealing her car as well" explained Dep. Rich Glennon with the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office.

Several neighbors saw damage to the front fence but never realized that Douglas was lying inside, unable to call for help for most of the day.

"Gate had been hit earlier in the day, and we didn't even notice it until later in the evening. She was in there by herself," said Floyd Reece, another neighbor.

Neighbors estimate Douglas weighs 80 pounds and could not have defended herself.

Investigators hope something was caught on a neighbor's security camera.