MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A 71-year-old man was beaten and robbed in his own driveway in Frayser, and police say one of the suspects is just 14 years old.
Police say Ronald Aven came home from church late Wednesday night to find two young men standing in his driveway off James Road near Overton Crossing, staring at him.
Seconds later, they pushed him the ground, punching and kicking him. Investigators say they stole his cellphone and took off when Aven’s wife came to the door.
Neighbor Barbara Cameron came outside minutes later. She thinks the same pair cased her driveway earlier that day.
She said Aven was bleeding from his head because they’d smashed his head on the concrete. Authorities say his injuries were not serious.
“He cares for animals, kids, people,” Cameron said of her neighbor. “He really is a great guy.”
Both suspects — one of them 18, the other 14 — are charged with robbery.
Cameron couldn’t believe how young one of the suspects is.
“Where are the parents?” she asked. “Where are these parents? What kind of children are they raising that would beat an old man so bad?”
She said it’s not too late for the 14-year-old to turn his life around.
“He can be salvaged,” she said. “I hope he changes his ways and turns out to be a good citizen.”
There is a neighborhood watch in this area and in light of what happened, Cameron said everyone is going to be more alert. She’s already planning on installing more cameras and lighting at her house.
