Elderly woman speaks out after being held at gun point during Butler County robbery

BRADY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Pennsylvania State Police arrested two men for holding an elderly woman at gunpoint and robbing her home in Butler County.

Carol Soose, 82, said the men tied her up and ransacked her house. She said she was scared for her life.

“It scared me when the gun was pointed at my head,” Soose said. “I didn’t know if he was going to shoot me right then.”

Soose sat down with Channel 11 and told her story of a terrifying situation.

State police said they charged and arrested Damean Felmlee and Herbert Zellefrow. Soose said they showed up at her home in Brady Township on May 6 and threatened her, stole thousands of dollars and some guns.

“He pulled out a gun, he pointed it at my head,” Soose said. “The other guy had a handgun.”

Soose said they demanded her to get up and go to the bedroom.

“He handcuffed both hands behind my back and went through all my drawers, took all my money, took all my rings, took my jewelry box,” Soose said. “He said if you move yourself, I will blast this place apart and I imagine he meant shooting the place up.”

They also took some guns before leaving and then she called police.

The day before the armed robbery, she said the same guys were at her front door asking her to sign a gun rights petition, but she told them no. Then they came back later, claiming their car broke down and asked to borrow her phone.

“And they called their own phone number. I had his phone number and his name right on my telephone,” Soose said.

Police said phone records helped them identify the men. They led troopers on a police chase in Clarion County before they were taken into custody. Police said they also arrested Felmlee’s girlfriend, Heidi Boots, for lying to police about his whereabouts.

Police said another armed robbery happened at a home along Route 68 in Rimersburg, Clarion County, early last week and it was the same M-O. The victim, Dave Dunkin, said two men showed up at his house in the middle of the night while he was sleeping, hit him in the head with a gun, tied him up and stole money and guns. It wasn’t until the next morning that his friend found him. State police are investigating both cases and are working to see if they are connected.

Both men are in jail and are expected in court next week.

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