A man will spend four years in prison after tasing and robbing a 74-year-old man he met through a personal ad on Craigslist.
Lucas Churchill Holmes, 20, was sentenced Thursday for robbery and elder abuse charges, stemming from a break-in last April.
The victim, a Parkinson’s patient who wanted to be identified as just Bill, told NBC 7 he met Holmes through Craigslist, and they soon planned a date. But when Holmes didn’t show up, Bill said he went home and forgot to lock his door.
He woke up at about 1:20 a.m. to find Holmes standing over him, donning a grey stocking cap. The suspect tased Bill until he was on the floor, tied up his hands and feet and dragged him to the bathtub.
But Bill said Holmes showed a hint of empathy by bringing him pillows so he would be comfortable in the tub. The defendant claimed he didn’t want to do this but needed money for his sick daughter, according to Bill.
City News Service reported that at the time, Holmes was a transient living out of his car, his defense attorney said.
Bill told NBC 7 Holmes took his debit and credit cards, as well as about $600. He promised Bill that he would come back in half an hour to untie him and call police.
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However, once Holmes left, Bill said he was able to squirm out of his ties and call 911 himself.
Investigators were able to identify the suspect using the phone number and email address he had used to contact Bill, and they arrested him later that day.
