Maryland

Abductor Outsmarted by 80-Year-Old Woman Sentenced to 17 Years

A Maryland man was sentenced to 17 years for invading an 80-year-old woman's Potomac condo and robbing her at knifepoint.

Robert Dove was arrested after the woman made a series of smart decisions that kept her safe.

Dove, now 40, knocked on the door of the woman's home Oct. 14, 2018, and said he was there to inspect the roof. Thinking it was odd that someone would inspect a roof on a Sunday, the woman questioned him.

Then, he shoved her, burst into her home, flashed a knife and demanded money and jewelry.

But the senior outsmarted her attacker and was able to escape to safety, police said.

Montgomery County police say the victim gave Dove cash and a piece of jewelry, before he ordered her to drive to an ATM to get more money.

The woman talked with him and he told her his name and that he was supposed to be under police supervision. The victim drove her to a farm, and they went to a restaurant together. Finally, the victim told Dove she would pay for a hotel room for him for three nights.

She dropped him off and then told a friend what had happened. Fearing retribution, she was afraid to call police right away.

"She was fearful, but throughout the entire ordeal, she made decisions that she thought were best for herself, to keep herself safe," police spokeswoman Sgt. Rebecca Innocenti said at a news conference. 

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office arrested Dove at the hotel in Rockville the next day. Later that day, the victim called police and reported the crimes.

Police interviewed Dove, and he confessed, police said. He and the victim did not know each other, but he had previously lived in her home, according to police.

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