Coronavirus masks a boon for crooks who hide their faces
Chicago: The way the FBI tells it, William Rosario Lopez put on a surgical mask and walked into the Connecticut convenience store looking to the world like a typical pandemic-era shopper as he picked up plastic wrap, fruit snacks and a few other items.
Then, when the only other customer left, he went to the counter, pulled out a small pistol, pointed it at the clerk and demanded that he open the cash register. The scene, the FBI contends in a court document, was repeated by Lopez in four other gas station stores over eight days before his April 9 arrest.
It underscores a troubling new reality for law enforcement: Masks that have made criminals stand apart long before bandanna-wearing robbers knocked over stagecoaches in the Old West and ski-masked bandits held up banks now allow them to blend in like concerned accountants, nurses and store clerks trying to avoid a deadly virus. “Criminals, they’re smart and this is a perfect opportunity for them to conceal themselves and blend right in,” said Richard Bell, police chief in the tiny Pennsylvania community of Frackville.
He said he knows of seven recent armed robberies in the region where every suspect wore a mask. Across the United States, masks have become more and more prevalent, first as a voluntary precaution and then as a requirement imposed by governmental agencies and businesses. And people with masks — as well as latex gloves — have found their way into more and more crime reports. (AP)
Adopt a grandparent: Young help the old in Bolivian pandemic
La Paz: Sergio Royela lived far from his parents in Bolivia and was concerned how they were faring in the quarantine imposed by interim President Jeanine Áñez to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
“So, I looked for a neighbor to help me and I did the same in my condominium and adopted another grandfather,” Royuela said. Thus, a volunteer campaign was born.
“Adopt a Grandparent” urges volunteers to help senior citizens if they need safe support. So far, about 20 young people have volunteered to help, said Royuela, who serves as the campaign coordinator. For most people, the global pandemic causes mild or moderate symptoms but older adults and people with existing health problems have been particularly vulnerable.
In Bolivia, more than half of the 76 people confirmed to have been killed by the virus as of May 3 were elderly, according to health ministry data. For many elderly Bolivians, particularly those who are ill, it is difficult to shop for the basics and they are often far from their families. That’s where the volunteers come in. Royuela has been delivering food and words of encouragement to 97-year-old Oscar Gemio and 62-year-old Inés Urrelo, who live in a makeshift tent in a small wooded area of La Paz after losing their home in a landslide last year. (AP)