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Utica man accused of extorting 90 year old woman

By WKTV News

Story Created: Mar 13, 2012 at 11:18 PM EDT

Story Updated: Mar 13, 2012 at 11:18 PM EDT

UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - A Utica man is accused in a bizarre case of extortion involving an elderly victim. Utica Police say a 90-year-old woman living on Bacon Street was burglarized several times over the past six months. After the most recent robbery, police say the suspect contacted her...and offered to sell her back her belongings.

The woman contacted the Elder Abuse Coalition Program, who then contacted Utica Police. The Criminal Investigation Division devised a plan to catch the suspect in the act of extorting the woman.

Police say it turns out, the suspect, 31-year-old Omar Torres, used two children to retrieve the money and return the belongings to the woman. Torres was arrested a short time later and is charged with burglary, petit larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, endangering the welfare of a child and grand larceny by extortion.

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