FORT WORTH, Texas – An 85-year-old World War II veteran is in critical condition after police said he was pistol whipped by teenage robbers.
Fort Worth police said Frank Albert Burk tried to fight off the three teenagers who busted into his house Monday night. But they hit him in the head and face with a gun.
Burk is now in the intensive care unit at Harris Methodist Hospital.
“His eyes were shut they were so swollen,” said Pam Fojtik. “All of the facial bones around this area of his face are broken. And he does have some bleeding. And they want to make sure that doesn’t get any worse.”
Fojtik said her uncle spends most of his free time picking up trash in the park across from his house. He is hard of hearing and may not have heard the teens tell him to cooperate.
“But he kept waving his hands at them telling them to just take the money and leave and I guess they were threatened by him not minding what they said so that’s why they pistol whipped him,” she said.
Police said the incident was part of an overnight crime on the east side of Fort Worth. After the suspects broke into homes, they allegedly robbed a 7-Eleven and another gas station.
Officers later arrested 17-year-old Bryant Soriano, 18-year-old Jose Ignasio and a 16-year-old whose name was not released because he is a juvenile.
They face charges for aggravated robbery.
Burk will apparently take great pleasure in making sure they are prosecuted.
“He wants to go to court and put these guys away,” Fojtik said. “He said, ‘I want to go to court so make sure that the police know that I’ll sign papers if they need me to.’”
Despite being hospitalized, Burk told his niece as long as he is well enough to eat and go to church he will be happy.
