Residential Burglary, 1/8/13- “The Coast”
The elderly male victim was taking a walk through his neighborhood when he was contacted by an unknown man driving a white newer model station wagon of mid-sized SUV. The man said he had repaired several of his neighbors’ roofs and offered to take a look at the victim’s roof for free. The victim agreed and allowed the suspect into his home. The suspect was accompanied by a 12 year old boy he claimed was his son. The boy stayed with the victim in the living room while the suspect “inspected” the home by himself. After about an hour the suspect returned and asked the victim to follow him outside, climbed a ladder to the roof, pulled a tile and showed it to the victim. The suspects told the victim the roof tile was bad and he would have to check the rest of the roof. The victim agreed and went back inside the home. The boy remained outside with the suspect. When the suspect did not return to contact the victim he went outside to check on the progress and found that the suspect and the boy were gone. The victim’s wife returned home from shopping a short time later and discovered that her jewelry had been stolen. It appears as though the suspect may have been driving around the area looking for an elderly victim.
Distraction Burglaries,” the ruse: In these cases the suspect(s) will initiate contact with the victim (usually older or elderly). The victim may be in front of or near their home, or in a public parking lot entering or exiting their vehicle. The suspects will typically claim to be roofers, utility workers, driveway pavers, painters, or auto body repairmen. They will claim they can remove the dents from your car, do some sort of repair work on your home, or claim to be utility workers looking for gas leaks, electrical problems, water pressure issues, etc. In repair jobs they will typically give you a reduced price for their work to gain your undivided attention. While suspect #1 is distracting the victim with his great deal a second suspect will make entry into the home undetected. Suspect #2 will go to the usual places where jewelry, currency, etc. is kept and look for valuables. Once suspect #2 is done suspect #1 will momentarily excuse himself, disappearing along with the loot.
Please be aware of this scam or suspicious activity and call the O.C.S.D. dispatch number (949) 770-6011
Or 9-1-1, if necessary.
