Vi Ripken, mother of baseball legend, victimized again in Aberdeen

ABERDEEN, Md., Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Vi Ripken, the mother of baseball legend Cal Ripken Jr., scared off an armed man in Aberdeen, Md., after he attempted to steal her car, police said.

The man confronted Ripken, 75, with a handgun outside a bank Tuesday afternoon. When Ripken activated the panic alarm on her key fob, the man ran away without taking anything, The Baltimore Sun reported.

Ripken was uninjured and police later arrested the man, whose name was not immediately released.

Last year, Ripken was a victim in another criminal incident in Aberdeen, a community known for its low crime rate.

In July 2012, she was taken from her home at gunpoint, bound and driven around in her car and then released uninjured after 24 hours.

Police have not identified that attacker, and in August, her son offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

"There is no indication he had any involvement in last year's case. And there's no indication he knew who she was," Lt. Fred Budnick said of Tuesday's suspect. "Right now, it appears to be a crime of opportunity rather than a targeted issue."