The stepdaughter of an elderly Home Depot worker who died six weeks after being pushed onto the concrete floor by a serial shoplifter said she wanted his attacker to have “nowhere to hide”.
Gary Rasor, 83, died December 1 from injuries he sustained after confronting the suspect at the store’s garden center on October 18. He had tried to stop him from stealing three $800 pressure washers.
The grandfather held out his arm to stop the man and surveillance footage shows him being pushed to the ground by the thief, who was wearing a Calvin Klein hoodie and face mask.
The serial shoplifter has not been identified and police are still searching for him.
Rasor, who worked at the Hillsborough, North Carolina store for nine years, was hospitalized on and off in the weeks following the incident before being transferred to the hospice, where he was celebrating his 83rd birthday.
Leigh Bucholtz, Rasor’s stepdaughter, urges anyone with information to contact police before the suspect “hurts or kills anyone”.
Gary Rasor (pictured) was knocked to the ground while attempting to confront a suspect at a Home Depot in North Carolina on October 18. His stepdaughter Leigh Bucholtz is urging anyone with information to contact police before the suspect “hurts or kills anyone”. ‘
Rasor, pictured in hospital with his son Jeff, died December 1 after being admitted the day before Thanksgiving. His stepdaughter Leigh wrote online and said “thanks for the happy holidays you piece of shit”, referring to the attacker
Speaking to , she said: “I want the attacker arrested immediately. I want his face on every TV, in every newspaper, on billboards and on social media until there is no place for him.
“My first priority was Gary and his care, but now that he’s passed my next priority, the best way to honor Gary is to catch his attacker.”
She added that the family wanted to make the attacker “famous” and bemoaned the fact that the attacker was “still on the loose.”
Leigh posted online and said, “Thanks for the happy holidays, you piece of shit,” referring to the attacker.
Rasor was unable to walk after the incident and suffered a mild heart attack and pneumonia.
Hillsborough Police confirmed his death was linked to the injuries he sustained during the incident, adding that they have yet to make an arrest.
His wife Yovone said that she and her husband had plans to retire, travel and meet their new grandchild for the first time before his death.
A coroner has ruled that Rasor’s death was a homicide, and his wife Yovone told CBS 17 her husband recognized the shoplifter.
Rasor, 83, had been working at Home Depot for nine years when he was knocked onto the concrete floor by a thief who was stealing a truckload of pressure washers. The horrifying incident was caught on October 18 in surveillance footage of the North Carolina chain of stores
The suspect stole nearly $850 worth of merchandise after throwing Rasor to the ground while trying to stop him from leaving. The thief, who has yet to be caught, drove away in a Hyundai Sonata with a “blank” temporary tag
Rasor hit his head on a potted plant as he hit the ground. He died of his injuries six weeks later. Police are classifying his death as a homicide
Rasor’s wife Yovone said she and her husband, who are pictured together, had plans to retire, travel and meet their new grandchild for the first time before his death
Yovone said that she and her husband thought he would be able to recover from his injuries
She said: “It’s just hard and I know it sounds silly but I’m still waiting for him to come home.
“He first saw the video in the hospital and he was very optimistic and didn’t worry about anything until he saw the video. He lost it… he just lost it.
‘He knows the guy’s 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.”
The couple had even bought plane tickets to visit family over the holidays and never gave up hope that he would recover from the multiple fractures.
A day before Thanksgiving, he was rushed to the intensive care unit, where he died a week later.
His son Jeff said, “It’s just unbelievable that anyone would do that for a couple of pressure washers… that’s just amazing.”
Hillsborough Police have branded the suspect a “menace to society” and are urging anyone with information to contact them on 919.296.9562.
Investigators said the suspect captured in surveillance video fled the store in a white four-door Hyundai Sonata with a temporary North Carolina tag “hidden from witnesses.”
A Home Depot spokesman said: “We are heartbroken at the loss of our employee Gary.
“He was part of our team for more than nine years. He was a great friend, husband, father and grandfather who was always willing to help anyone.
“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. Total $837.