Few leads to robbery of man, 79, in his home.

Byline: TRICIA SCHWENNESEN The Register-Guard

Eugene police are asking the public's help for leads in the case of two masked men armed with pistols who forced their way into an elderly man's mobile home, tied him to a chair, gagged him with his own shirt and stole his wallet.

The 79-year-old man was shoved to the ground and his hip was broken during the early morning attack. He's recovering at a Bailey Hill area nursing home.

In a telephone interview Thursday from his room, he said he's feeling "pretty good, but they tell me I'll probably be here another three weeks."

The robbery occurred about 6 a.m. Nov. 20 when two young men - possibly in their early 20s - knocked on the door of his mobile home in southeast Eugene and pushed their way in, the man said. They were wearing ski masks and dark gloves and clothing.

"I had just gotten my paper and read my paper, called a friend and talked for a little while, hung up, there was a knock on the door and I went to the door and there was two kids," he said. "I got robbed."

One of the men pushed him to the floor, breaking the victim's right hip, he said. Then the two robbers sat him in a chair, tied his arms behind his back and demanded money.

It was scary "looking at two guns in the face ... there was nothing I could do," he said.

The two men fled out the front door, taking his wallet, about $100 in cash and several of his phones, he said. But the elderly man freed himself and used a cordless phone left behind to call for help.

He was taken to Sacred Heart Medical Center, where he underwent hip surgery the same day.

With no solid description of the suspects, investigators have had difficulty developing leads in the case, Detective Matt Herbert said.

"He seems to have been selected at random and he's a vulnerable guy," Herbert said. "It's kind of disturbing that way."

In preparation for his return home, the elderly man said he had a locksmith change all the door locks and add a wide-angle peephole so he can look out from behind a closed front door.

Anyone with information about the two suspects or the incident can call Herbert at 682-5147.