Suspects break into 79-year-old Visalia woman's home, tie her up, steal her car

VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) -- UPDATE: An 18-year-old, Gage Burros, was arrested for the home invasion by the Visalia Police Department. He was booked for home invasion robbery, elder abuse, and possession of a sawed-Off shotgun.

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Visalia Police are looking for the suspects who terrorized a 79-year-old woman at her home early Wednesday morning.

"(I'm) very upset," said Patricia Swanson, the victim's daughter. "How can some weak punk come to an older person and do something like this. To anybody, but to an older person, that's some weak punks. It's ridiculous, it makes me angry."

Swanson drove to Visalia from Victorville after getting the call.

She believes two men came in through the doggy door at her mother's home just after 5 a.m.

She says they taped her up and asked for money, jewelry, and pills, and then ransacked the house.

It's unclear if they found anything they wanted, but police say they stole the woman's car to get away-a 2014 light blue four door Toyota Corolla, license plate number 7JHA909.

"If anybody does see it don't attempt to stop it or contact the individual, just contact us," said Visalia Police Sgt. Gary Williams.

Physically, Swanson says her mother is doing OK, though she could still see the marks from the tape around her mouth.

But emotionally, it will take some time to recover.

She says her mother moved to Visalia from Huntington Beach six years ago to be closer to family.

"We thought this was going to be a great place for her to retire and enjoy her life, and now she's scared," Swanson said. "It's just horrible."

Swanson says the suspects also broke her mother's phone.

But she was able to walk to her grandson's house down the street to get help.