Elderly man chokes to death on his false teeth after mugger punches him in the face during street robbery in Colombia
- A pensioner has died after swallowing his set of false teeth during a mugging
- The highly unusal incident has been linked to the blow the OAP suffered after he was hit in the face outside a library in the Colombian city of Medellin
- The mugger wanted the 71-year-old’s phone he had just bought
A pensioner has died after swallowing his set of false teeth during a mugging.
The bizarre incident has been linked to a blow the OAP suffered after he was hit in the face outside a library in the Colombian city of Medellin.
After punching him, the mugger demanded a phone 71-year-old Gabriel de Jesus Pulgarin Bolivar had just bought.
Local reports said the pensioner was seen raising his hands to his throat as he sat on a bench before being given a glass of water to drink by a Good Samaritan who saw he was in difficulties.
Incidents where someone swallows their dentures are very rare and has been linked to injuries, impacts, falls and food
Police were alerted and the victim managed to explain what had happened before his condition worsened.
He was rushed to a health centre in the neighbourhood known as Doce de Octubre – October 12 in English – but medics there were unable to save his life.
Police chief Jose Galindo confirmed to local press a suspect was in custody over the assault around 9am local time on Tuesday.
The results of an autopsy have yet to be made public but are thought to have confirmed the OAP died after his false teeth obstructed his airway.
Incidents where someone swallows their dentures are said to be very rare. The swallowing of false teeth has been linked to injuries, impacts, falls and food.
RCN Radio, one of the main radio networks in Colombia was among national media which reported on the death.
The bizarre incident took place in the city of Medellín, Colombia, capital of the Antioquia department and the only city in Colombia with a metro system
It said: “An elderly man choked to death after swallowing his dentures from the shock of being mugged for his phone in one of the streets of the October 12 neighbourhood in north-west Medellin.”
Another local newspaper said the mugger had dislodged the OAP’s dentures when he hit him in the face.