An elderly Home Depot worker in North Carolina lost his life while attempting to stop an alleged repeat shoplifter from stealing merchandise. At the Hillsborough Home Depot in October, 82-year-old worker Gary Rasor was in the garden area when he noticed a robber who had previously entered the store.
Rasor was shoved by the suspect, sustaining head injuries, necessitating multiple trips to the hospital, and the medical examiner determined that the purposeful conduct caused Rasor’s death.
Rasor recognized the attacker—a guy with a face mask and a hoodie—as a frequent shoplifter at the establishment. Rasor knew the man as a thief and had been spotted buying one or two products, so he had a receipt and would covertly add more items to his cart on the way out the door, according to Rasor’s wife, who reported the incident to the police. The suspect attempted to leave the business that day while carrying pressure washers valued around $800 in his cart when he first entered.
An elderly Home Depot employee who was shoved to the ground by a man allegedly fleeing the store with stolen merchandise has died weeks after the assault, police say. Authorities are still searching for a suspect. https://t.co/ZRhtqAYGe4
— ABC News (@ABC) December 4, 2022
The old employee put his arms out to try to slow him down, hoping to stop another steal. Rasor was brutally thrown to the ground by the suspect, and a potted plant struck Rasor in the head. The thief left the business without even turning around to see the harm he had caused. The interaction was caught on store surveillance.
Rasor suffered many fractures and a slight heart attack after his valiant efforts led to a terrible fall. He was in and out of the hospital during the ensuing weeks, but he was still able to spend his birthday at home, turning 83. He was readmitted to the hospital and sent to hospice the day before Thanksgiving. On December 1, Rasor died.
The culprit is described by police as being Black, 6 feet tall, and driving a white Hyundai Sonata. Hillsborough Investigator Andrew Jones encourages anyone with knowledge or who has seen something to get in touch. The family of Rasor is distraught. It was “mind-boggling,” according to his son, that someone would die over a few pressure washers. The suspect’s capture will respect his death, according to the family.
