Man, 92, Tied Up During Home Robbery, Chews Through Tape To Free Himself

SHORELINE, Wash. – The King County sheriff's office says a 92-year-old Shoreline man chewed through restraints to free himself after two men robbed his house.

Sgt. John Urquhart says that on Monday two men knocked on Lester Matteson's door and asked to use his phone, claiming their car had broken down. But once they entered, the men grabbed the victim's arms and held them while they used masking tape to secure him to a chair.

Urquhart says the men ransacked the house, eventually taking off with more than $400 in cash and the victim's 2000 Ford pickup truck.

It took Matteson two hours to chew through the masking tape. Other than bruises, he was not injured. Matteson tells KOMO-TV he wasn't frightened, but at his age, "you don't wrestle two young men."

And he says he's learned his lesson: "Watch out who you let in."

The robbers are still at large.