75-year-old NJ woman drugged, robbed of thousands of dollars. How officials say criminals are targeting vulnerable seniors

    PATERSON, New Jersey (WCBS, WLNY) -- A 75-year-old woman in New Jersey said she was drugged, then robbed of thousands of dollars.

Tuesday morning, when Maria Ramos was returning from a doctor's appointment, she said a woman approached her asking for directions.

"She turned around, the lady was instantly next to her. There was a sock on her shoulder, so she doesn't know what happened," said Erica Suazo, Ramos' daughter.

Suazo said the woman placed that sock, which apparently had some sort of drug on it, on her mother's shoulder, causing her to breathe the drug in and lose awareness. The woman then instructed Ramos to go to the Chase bank, where Ramos has an account, to withdraw cash.

"The lady wanted $10,000. The branch only gave $5,000," Suazo said.

Suazo said the suspect took her mother to a second bank location, but once they exited the cab, her mother regained her awareness.

"She said that she was coming into consciousness and saying, 'Why? Why? What? What am I doing here?'" Suazo said. "I started instantly crying because it was traumatizing."

Ramos was able to get away.

City councilmember warns of drugged cloths used in crimes

Paterson City Council Member Luis Velez said this is a tactic being used to target vulnerable seniors.

"They put the dust on a cloth or towel, then they could probably move your hands and make sure you're around it, and they put it on top of the people without them realizing that that is contaminated," he said.

Suazo is just grateful her mother is safe.

"It could have been something serious. She could have been kidnapped," she said.

While this has dented her mother's sense of security, Suazo wants to get the word out to others can be aware.

"It's not even about the money. It's just about what she went through and just an awareness to others," she said.