You’ve read this before and it just keeps happening in our city: Burglars posing as “workers” to get inside of elderly resident’s homes. BSO reported that two elderly residents in Tamarac unknowingly allowed these “workers” into their Westwood 3 home on Thursday.
In this case, deputies responded to a residence in reference to a theft of a jewelry box. The investigation revealed that they allowed a person inside who was posing as a city worker after he told the couple he was there to conduct a test of the water.
After he was inside, the suspect along with the couple walked to a bathroom on the north side of the home. It was there the suspect asked the husband to turn on the faucet, in which he did. The suspect then sprayed an unknown substance on the victim’s left arm. After telling the victim that the substance was acid, the suspect escorted the victims to the bathroom in the master bedroom. It was here that he had the wife assist her husband in removing the substance. While the victims were working on removing the substance and cleaning the area, the subject slipped away.
He grabbed the jewelry box that was on top of dresser and left the residence in an unknown direction.
BSO says the suspect is a white male 20-25 years old has a slender build, and a mustache. He was last seen wearing khaki colored pants, a white T-shirt with an orange traffic vest with a yellow strip fluorescent stripe and a yellow hard hat.
Please remind everyone you know that if anyone comes to your home unannounced, do not open the door and never let them in. It is important, however, to let them know that someone is inside in case they are casing the house. Remember, city and utility workers always wear ID.
When in doubt, call 911 and let a deputy verify their identity.
Call the Tamarac Crime Prevention Unit at (954) 720-2225 for more tips and information on protecting yourself.