Riviera Beach man Undrea Barnes accused of breaking neck of woman, 79, on Valentine's Day

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- A West Palm Beach neighborhood is trying to combat crime in the city's south end.

The new effort comes just days after a 79-year-old woman was attacked on her own property.

"Our neighbor had been attacked," said Judge Moss, who lives in the one hundred block of Seville Road.

Police say Moss' s neighbor was targeted by Undrea Barnes, 39.

Barnes allegedly followed his female victim into her garage at about 4:15 p.m. on Valentine's Day.

Police documents show that Barnes somehow knocked the woman unconscious. Investigators said the impact was enough to fracture her neck. Barnes then reportedly took the woman's pocketbook and then fled the scene.

"She had her purse stolen and she could not get inside her house," said Moss.

When the elderly woman woke up, police said she was able to stumble to a neighbor's home for help.

"You are concerned that people are bold enough to do that," said Mark Eggen, who has lived in the south end of the city since 1981.

Eggen said he has seen crime levels fluctuate through the years. He said he sees the benefits of neighbors looking out for other neighbors.

"I heard about it through the email to the neighborhood association," he said, referring to an email alert he and almost everyone in the neighborhood received Tuesday afternoon.

Police later found some of the victim's stolen items in Lake Worth and matched fingerprints already in their system to Barnes. He was arrested shortly after police said he tried to use one of the victim's credit cards at a nearby gas station.

The neighborhood watch group said what happened during daylight hours to the 79-year-old resident is not typical and should not be tolerated. The group plans to discuss the incident at its next meeting to see what, if anything, can be done to prevent it from happening again.

"Someone that has an objective in their mind to do something, regardless of whatever neighborhood you're in, it's probably inevitable that it's going to happen," said Darren Pace, a south end resident.

The victim, who remains unidentified, underwent neck surgery at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach. She has yet to return to her home on Seville Road.