Senior robbed of wallet in Toronto emergency room
An Ontario senior had to defend herself in the emergency room of a Toronto hospital Wednesday after she was robbed by another patient.
Toronto resident Avi Levington told CTV News Toronto he took his 68-year-old mother to Toronto General Hospital on Elizabeth Street at around 9:30 a.m., as she was experiencing significant hip pain.
Levington said they'd waited approximately two hours when he stepped away to make a work call.
“I'm thinking like, ‘She's not on a New York subway – I've left her sitting in the waiting room of a major hospital in Toronto,’” he said in a phone interview.
But in his absence, Levington said a stranger approached his mother, reached into the purse on her lap, and stole her wallet.
“My mother was in the waiting room alone and a woman came and grabbed my mother’s wallet from her purse that was sitting on her lap,” he said. “People around her were yelling and screaming to get help.”
Levington says, despite his mother’s ailments, she was able to follow and confront the culprit, who went into a corner and begun to empty the contents of the wallet.
“My mom, besides being a transplant patient, has very advanced scoliosis, so walking is obviously extremely difficult for her. She’s able to walk but with tremendous difficulty, but she was able to get up and swipe her wallet back,” he said.
Staff hadn't responded at this point, according to Levington, and instead, fellow patients jumped into action to help the woman back into her wheelchair.
He said that, upon his return, a minute or two after the interaction, he noticed a lack of a security guard, which he thought was “extremely odd.”
“You would think that there would be [a security guard] there and there wasn't – just someone sitting behind the glass wall, where they can only hear if you talk through one of those microphone devices,” he said.
After about five minutes, Levington said a security guard appeared and escorted the woman who tried to grab his mother's wallet out of the waiting area.
When reached for comment, the University Health Network, which oversees Toronto General Hospital, told CTV News Toronto its emergency departments are, “of necessity, open to anyone .. and are often seen as a place of respite for people experiencing homelessness.”
“This is a very unfortunate event and anyone involved in the incident will be part of the investigation,” Gillian Howard, spokesperson for UHN, said in a statement, adding that "the emergency departments do have security staff assigned to the area."
“It would have been very frightening for the patient involved and we deeply regret that someone seeking care has had this experience.”
As of Thursday, Levington’s mother is recovering at home.
He says he doesn’t want to share his story as “another person throwing rocks at the system,” but that he hopes meaningful change will be sparked within health care.
“Let's just figure out a way to run these places more efficiently and more safely. That's all.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.