Home Depot employee, 83, dies from injuries sustained after approaching a suspected thief who pushed him to the ground as he stole three pressure washers
- Gary Rasor was pushed to the ground by a thief at Hillsborough Home Depot
- He died weeks later and a coroner ruled his death a manslaughter
- Mr Rasor’s wife said he knew the suspect who stole the pressure washer
An 83-year-old Home Depot employee has died weeks after being pushed to the ground by a thief who stole three pressure washers from a North Carolina store.
Gary Rasor was deported when he tried to confront the suspect in the gardens area of the Hillsborough store on October 18.
The alleged thief, wearing a dark hoodie, was wheeling a cart full of power tools stolen from the store, CCTV footage showed.
Mr Rasor, who has worked at the store for nine years, approached the hooded customer and gently placed a hand on his arm.
An 83-year-old Home Depot employee has died weeks after being pushed to the ground by a thief who stole three pressure washers from a North Carolina store
Surveillance footage shows the suspect, wearing a black Calvin Klein sweatshirt and mask, putting an energetic arm around the elderly man’s shoulders and pushing him to the ground as he walked on.
The man falls into a potted plant and struggles to get up, footage shows.
Mr Rasor died on December 1 from injuries sustained in the incident and a coroner ruled his death was a homicide.
His wife Yovone told CBS 17 that her husband spotted the shoplifter.
Gary Rasor (pictured) was deported when he tried to confront the suspect in the gardens area of the Hillsborough store on October 18
The unidentified victim, 82, was working at the outstation booth in the garden area of a Hillsborough Home Depot on Tuesday when he noticed a man in a dark hoodie wheeling a cart full of power tools
The suspect stole nearly $850 worth of merchandise after throwing the old man to the ground. He left the store in a Hyundai Sonata with a “blank” temporary tag
She said: “He knows the guy is a thief. He’s been there, he’s seen him in the store before.
“And what he told me was that sometimes the guy buys an item or two so he has a receipt, and then he adds more items to his cart and shows the receipt.”
A Home Depot spokesman told Fox News: “We are heartbroken at the loss of our employee Gary.
“He was part of our team for more than 9 years. He was a great friend, husband, father and grandfather who was always willing to help anyone.
The older man hit his head on a potted plant and police said he sustained injuries. The extent of his injuries is unknown
“Right now our main concern is to support his family and our employees during this difficult time.”
The suspect rolled out what appears to have stolen a Ryobi 1900 PSI electric pressure washer, which retails for $179; a 2700 PSI brushless electric pressure washer that retails for $419; and a 2000 PSI electric pressure washer that retails for $239.
Police said the suspect fled the scene in a white four-door Hyundai Sonata with a “blank” temporary tag.
Authorities are asking the public for help in identifying the “danger to society”.
Hillsborough Police said: “We need YOUR help to identify this guy before anyone else gets hurt.”