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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Robber steals presidential coin from oldest US park ranger

This Oct. 31, 2007, photo shows Betty Reid Soskin, a community outreach worker at the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historic Park. (Eric Risberg / AP)
Associated Press

RICHMOND, Calif. – A robber attacked the nation’s oldest full-time park ranger in her San Francisco Bay Area home this week and made off with a coin she received from President Barack Obama, authorities said Thursday.

Betty Reid Soskin, 94, who works as an interpretive ranger at the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, was awoken by an intruder who punched her several times in the face, police Lt. Felix Tan said.

She reached for her cellphone but he grabbed it from her, dragged her out of the bedroom and beat her again, Richmond police said. She was able to crawl away to the bathroom and locked herself inside until the robber left early Monday.

“I fully expected he was going to kill me,” Soskin said.

Police say the thief stole her cellphone, iPad, laptop, camera, jewelry and the coin the president gave her to honor her achievements.

She said most items she can live without, but the coin is special to her. “If I can get that coin back, I think I can forgive anything,” she said.