Mitchell Park West Neighbors
August News on Home Invasion in the Neighborhood
East Valley scam artists hit Buckeye, police say
by Jackee Coe - Aug. 6, 2009 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic
Buckeye police believe an elderly couple who were robbed last month are the latest victims of scam artists who have talked their way into several East Valley homes. Once inside, they distract the homeowner and look for things to steal.
On July 26 at about 3:30 p.m., an older man knocked on the door of an elderly Buckeye couple, ages 71 and 74, and acted like he was an old friend, calling them both by name, said Lt. Phil Harris, a Buckeye police spokesman.
The man called to a vehicle parked in front of the home, near Baseline and Apache roads, and asked three younger men to come meet the couple. He identified two of them as sons and one as a nephew.
The older man asked if he could park his broken RV in the couple's yard, Harris said. The nephew went with the Buckeye man to find a spot while the other three went into the house with the woman to use the restroom and get a drink. While the younger men talked with the woman, the older man searched the home for valuables, Harris said.
After the men left, the couple discovered that two rings - a gold 1957 graduation ring from Arizona State College (now Arizona State University) and a 25th anniversary diamond wedding ring - were missing, Harris said. Both rings have "extreme sentimental value" and together are worth about $1,000.
Detectives don't believe this was an isolated incident, Harris said. It was similar to four incidents in Mesa and three in Tempe that also took place in July.
In all seven, a group of men - one older, the rest younger - talked their way inside an elderly person's home either by asking to use the restroom, get a drink, look at a house for sale, or inquire about buying a vehicle, police said. Once inside, some of the men distracted the victims while another searched the home for things to steal.
Harris said the incident on July 26 is the only one police are aware of in Buckeye, but they are looking for more victims. It is possible the scam artists are in the Valley looking for other victims, so people should be cautious, he said.
The suspects are described as White or Hispanic males in their late teens to early 20s, accompanied by a man in his 60s, police said. The older male has been described as 5 feet 10 inches tall, about 165 pounds, and mostly bald. He was reported wearing dark clothing in one incident and white shorts and a colored shirt in another. The younger men are about 6 feet tall, with thin builds and dark hair.
They were driving a newer-model brown Toyota Camry in the Buckeye incident. They also have been seen in a dark-colored car with chrome rims, and a newer-model Chevrolet Silverado truck with chrome rims and a temporary registration tag, authorities said.
If someone encounters people matching their description, they should call police immediately, Harris said.
"Provide the best description you are able to, including vehicle descriptions and any license plate numbers you can see," Harris said. "Do not risk stalling these criminals while the police respond. An immediate call to the police, good description and direction of travel will give officers enough information to locate these suspects."
Anyone with information or who thinks he or she may have been a victim should call the Buckeye Police Department at 623-349-6170.
News as of July 23rd
At around 6PM, an older (60ish) hispanic male knocked on the door and started a conversation - he had familiar, personal info about the homeowner. The homeowner is older, and thought he knew the person, and invited him in. The person signaled to the car (black sedan with fancy rims) and four more large males (20-30, hispanic) got out and came into the house. They kept the homeowners closely occupied and the older male systematically searched the house.
Then he came out to the living room and said that it was time to go. They all hugged the woman and told her to "be good" as they left.
The homeowners had gone to the bank that same morning and withdrawn a sum of cash to pay a contractor. Police think the bank teller was in on it.
From the Tempe Police Department, July 28th
RE: Community Information - Residential Theft/Burglary
Dear Neighborhood and Homeowners' Associations Contacts,
In an effort to keep you informed of criminal activity in your neighborhood, the Tempe Police Department would like to take this opportunity to provide you with some information concerning three residential theft incidents which occurred in the Beat 13 area. All the incidents occurred during the early evening hours between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. and involve 2-5 suspects befriending the victims (oftentimes elderly) to a point where they are invited into the home. Once inside, one suspect distracts the resident(s) through conversation, while the others go through the house stealing items of value.
Investigation into these crimes has revealed that the suspects are usingdifferent ploys to gain entry into the homes of unsuspecting victims such as, inquiring if the victim wishes to sell their vehicle which is parked in the driveway or referring to the victim by name and acting as if they are related to contractors who have done prior work on the home. Fortunately, the suspects have not displayed or used any weapons during any of these incidents and no one has been physically harmed.
Victims have described the suspects as being 3 to 4 Hispanic males in their late teens to early twenties accompanied by an older Hispanic male in his forties. The older male has been described as being 5'10" in height, 165 lbs., and was last seen wearing a baseball hat, white shorts, and an unknown colored shirt. Likewise, the suspects have been seen traveling in a newer model Toyota Camry or a similar type vehicle which is dark brown in color and/or a dark colored passenger car with chrome rims and/or chrome accents.
The Tempe Police Department would like to remind residents that these types of crimes are preventable and residents should take the precautions necessary to protect their home and loved ones. Some personal safety suggestions include:
* Not allowing strangers access into your home.
* Contacting the company a person claims to represent to confirm
their identity prior to granting them access into your home.
* Becoming suspicious if you don't recognize a person who makes
contact with you and claims to know you.
* Keeping points of entry into your home locked at all times
(doors, screens, windows, security doors, etc).
* Contacting the Tempe Police Department if you are not able to
verify someone's identity or feel that they are acting suspiciously in
your neighborhood.
Rest assured that the Tempe Police Department is aggressively investigating these incidents. If you feel that you have any information related to these crimes which may assist us with our ongoing investigations, please contact the Tempe Police Department at 480-350-8311.
Sincerely,
Charles Cobbs
Community Affairs Specialist
Office of the Chief
Tempe Police Department
Posted
by iraandcarol on 08/09/2009
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