We want to alert you to a new distraction theft in our area. Earlier this month, a Hispanic man knocked on a woman’s front door and said he was about to trim a tree next door to her home and the branches would be falling over onto her side of the property. He insisted that she meet with him to the rear of her house so that he could explain what he would be doing. The 88-year-old woman exited her home, leaving her front door unlocked. She noticed a black pickup truck parked in front of her property with someone in the driver’s seat. She said that the man distracted her by pointing out branches on trees on her property that he’d be trimming for free. After about five minutes, she told him to leave. The man got into the passenger’s side of the pickup truck and left. She then went back inside her home. That’s when she noticed the top drawer in her bedroom dresser was open. Her gold wedding band, given to her by her husband over 65 years ago, was missing, as were several other pieces of jewelry.
Here’s our best crime prevention advice in a situation like this one: If someone knocks on your door and you don’t know who they are or didn’t hire them to do work on your property, do not answer the door. If you do answer the door and you are going to walk outside with them, make sure to lock all of your doors on your way out.
Please share this with your loved ones, especially those in our senior population, who are prime targets for these heartless thieves because they often live alone.
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