Woman arrested a year after robbery of 80-year-old Modestan

Nearly one year after an 80-year-old woman was tied up and robbed in her southeast Modesto home, police arrested one of the suspects.

Amanda Ortiz, 25, was arrested at a house in Escalon on Tuesday on suspicion of home-invasion robbery, physical elder abuse and false imprisonment of an elder.

Ortiz and a man are suspected of breaking into the woman's home in the 400 block of Hubert Drive on March 27, gagging her and binding her arms and legs with duct tape, then ransacking her house for more than an hour while she lay helpless.

After the robbers drove away from the woman's house in her PT Cruiser with her purse, she managed to get to her next-door neighbor's house for help.

Neighbors were shocked by the brutality of the crime and wanted desperately for the robbers to be caught.

Months of investigation led police to Ortiz, but they still are looking for her male counterpart, said Lt. Jeramy Young. He would not say what evidence detectives had that resulted in Ortiz's arrest. She will be arraigned today in Stanislaus Superior Court.

Police urge anyone who may have any information regarding this incident to call Crime Stoppers at (209) 521-4636. Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward. Tipsters can text information to Crime Stoppers by sending a text message to 274637. Just type "TIP704" along with the message.

Bee staff writer Erin Tracy can be reached at etracy@modbee.com or (209)578-2366.

Video below: Scene from last year's home invasion