Philadelphia police are searching for a man accused of pretending to work for the city’s water department so he could get inside older residents’ homes and steal cash and jewelry.
Investigators said the suspect has targeted at least four senior citizens over the past three weeks. The reported losses include more than $15,000 from a West Oak Lane home, $37,000 from a Hunting Park home, and $39,000 in cash and jewelry from a residence in Northeast Philadelphia, according to 6abc.
Police released surveillance images showing the suspect in what appeared to be a makeshift utility worker’s uniform. Investigators are also looking for a white Subaru Ascent with paper tags that they believe may be connected to the case.
No arrest had been reported in the sources reviewed.
The Suspect Claimed to Be From the Water Department
A 76-year-old man identified only as Rudy told 6abc the man came to his home on North Fourth Street in Feltonville late last month. The suspect claimed to be from the water department, and Rudy allowed him inside.
Rudy said he quickly became suspicious and went upstairs to check on the man. By then, the visitor had already left.
“I said, ‘No, I didn’t like this. Let me go upstairs.’ But by that time, he was already gone,” Rudy told the station.
Rudy said it appeared nothing was taken from his home, but the encounter changed how he thinks about opening the door to someone he does not know.
Police Listed Three Large Losses
Other victims reported much larger consequences. Police said the suspect accessed a safe inside a woman’s home in West Oak Lane on May 16 and took more than $15,000 in cash.
Investigators said $37,000 was stolen from a home in Hunting Park on May 20. The most recent reported case happened Monday, when police said the suspect took $39,000 in cash and jewelry from a residence in Northeast Philadelphia.
In each case, investigators said the victims were senior citizens. Police have not publicly identified the suspect.
Investigators Are Looking for a White Subaru Ascent
Police released surveillance images of the man they are trying to identify and said he appeared to be wearing a makeshift utility worker’s uniform.
Investigators are also pursuing a vehicle lead. The car was described as a white Subaru Ascent with paper tags, according to 6abc.
Anyone with information about the suspect or the vehicle was asked to contact Philadelphia police.
Residents Were Told to Ask for Official ID
Officials with the Philadelphia Water Department urged residents to ask anyone claiming to be a utility worker to show official company identification before allowing that person inside.
If the person’s identity cannot be verified, authorities said residents should call 911 before opening the home.
The safest check is direct verification: keep the door closed, ask for identification through a window or doorbell camera, and call the utility company or police through a number found independently, not one provided by the person at the door.