OLD TOWN — A 90-year-old woman was robbed and assaulted late last week as she was entering her front gate with an armful of grocery bags, according to police, the victim and her family.

Around 12:10 p.m. Thursday, the woman was outside, in front of her home in the 1400 block of North Mohawk Street, when a man knocked her to the ground and snatched her purse, according to Officer Bari Lemmon, a Chicago Police Department spokeswoman.

The man then fled northbound on Mohawk Street, Lemmon said.

The victim, who declined to be named for fear of repercussions, told DNAinfo Chicago that she had her hand on her gate when she felt "a heavy hit from behind."

"I was absolutely astounded," she said.

Along with the $250 in cash that was in her purse, the robber also stole one of the two bags of groceries she was holding, containing chicken and rice, she said.

She was taken to Northwestern Hospital, where she was treated for a fractured hip.

She said a dog walker who works for a family a few houses down found her within 30 seconds of the incident and called an ambulance immediately.

"I was very, very fortunate," she said, referring to the man who helped her.

The victim has been living on Mohawk Street for eight years with her son and daughter-in-law.

The victim's son, who also wished to remain anonymous, was in Montana at the time of the incident. He told DNAinfo Chicago that in the 15 years he's lived in the Old Town condo, his family has been the target of multiple crimes.

He said his family's car was stolen and items have been stolen from his garage on three separate occasions. About three years after he and his wife moved in, a man was shot eight times on the sidewalk outside of his home, he said.

Despite the number of crimes his family has endured, he said the "financial consequences of moving are unpleasant."

"We're locked into where we are," he said. "We pay ridiculous property taxes. If I could do it over again, I wouldn't move to Chicago. This city is a disgrace."

As of Sunday afternoon, his mother said she was doing well, thanks to attentive doctors.

"I'm in pain, of course. But they are looking after me. Everybody has been so kind and helpful here," she said.

Moving forward, she said she "will be more apprehensive now" when walking down the street.

"I always felt quite safe, but not anymore," she said.

Police described the suspect as a 5-foot-5 man wearing a red hooded jacket.

No one is in custody, and detectives are investigating, Lemmon said.

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