A 72-year-old woman fought off a burglar about 50 years younger than her Wednesday after the man broke into her senior citizen apartment building.
The woman was brushing her teeth inside the bathroom of her apartment near 2000 S. 200 East about 3:45 p.m. Wednesday when she noticed someone walk by her bathroom door and into her bedroom.The woman followed the intruder into her room and saw him taking money from her purse and putting it into his pants pocket, a Salt Lake police report states. She confronted the suspect and asked him what he was doing.
"Oh, I must be in the wrong apartment," the intruder said. The woman demanded that he return her money. He responded by pointing to some empty pockets. She reached for the man's pants pocket, but he got there first, according to the report.
The 72-year-old grabbed his wrist and pulled it hard enough that his hand, still clutching the money, came out of his pocket. The two began pushing and shoving each other, but the woman was able to hold him until he dropped the money and ran down the hall.
EPA proposes fining
firm over chemical spill The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed fining the Thatcher Co., 1900 W. Fortune Road, $33,250 for allegedly failing to promptly notify officials during Salt Lake City's worst-ever chemical spill.
In November 1991, a cloud of toxic sulfur dioxide gas spewed from the Thatcher Co.'s chemical plant, forcing evacuation of more than 60 blocks. A total of 515 people were taken to hospitals. One woman, Janet Urry, had a severe asthma attack from exposure to the gas and nearly died; she spent the night in a hospital.
According to Scott Whitmore of the EPA's Denver office, the splitting of a transfer hose during the unloading of a railroad tank car released more than 1,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide, exposing the public to toxic concentrations.
Thatcher "failed to immediately notify the Local Emergency Planning Committee and the Utah Emergency Response Commission," Whitmore said.
Thatcher spokesman Richard Doty said Friday the company has not decided whether to contest the complaint. "We're simply reviewing it. We've had it a few days," he said.