Police Warn Community about Transient Criminal Group Committing Burglary (Germantown: crimes, safe)

[tonyc]

DEPARTMENT OF POLICE

MEDIA SERVICES DIVISION

2350 RESEARCH BOULEVARD ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND 20850-3294
240-773-5030

For Immediate Release

For More Information:

February 4, 2011

Media Services Division, 240-773-5030

Police Warn Community about

Transient Criminal Group Committing Burglary

Detectives from the 5th District Investigative Section are
investigating a residential burglary that occurred on Friday, January
28, in Germantown, where the suspects represented themselves as
employees of the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC).

On January 28 at approximately 2:00 p.m., 5th District
officers responded to the 19500 block of Scenery Drive for the report of
a burglary that had just occurred. The investigation revealed that the
86-year-old male victim saw a pick-up truck enter his driveway. Two
suspects knocked at the door saying there was a problem with the water
line. The suspects told the victim that they were from WSSC and that
there had been a water main break on their street. They convinced the
victim that they needed to check pipes in his basement and asked the
victim and his elderly wife to come downstairs with them. The victims
heard a noise upstairs, and the two suspects ran out of the home. Three
suspects were seen leaving together in the pickup truck. It was later
learned that a third suspect had entered the house, forced open the
master bedroom closet door and taken a safe containing jewelry.

The suspects were described as possibly Hispanic males; one
age 55, 5'10" to 5'11" tall, and weighing 185 pounds;
one age 25, 5'8" tall, weighing 145 pounds, and the other age
35, and 5'6" tall. The two suspects with the victims were
wearing blue jeans and light-colored jackets. The truck was described
as being in good condition, silver in color, perhaps a 2000 to 2004
model with a very wide back end.

Detectives learned that there have been several burglaries
in Pennsylvania recently using this same type of hoax and targeting
elderly victims. It is believed that a transient criminal group may now
have migrated to our area and these suspects may again attempt this or a
similar hoax aimed at elderly residents. This is a very plausible
situation, and Montgomery County Police remind residents to not
immediately open doors to strangers and to ask for official
identification from individuals claiming to represent legitimate
businesses.

Anyone with information about these suspects is asked to
call the 5th District Investigative Section at 240-773-6237.

[westsideboy]

Typical Gypsy crimes.........probably not Hispanics. Be wary anyone offering you a "deal" on blacktop as well. You pay, get one inch of blacktop. By the time it cracks at the first freeze, the gyspies are long gone. Lest anyone think I am stereotyping, I know first hand of a gypsy family in my part of the world that works the same scams. Once the fuzz catches on, they repaint their trucks, rename the company, and move the business to another state and begin "working" again.