Be on the Lookout for Burglars Posing as Water Workers

This alert came in from the Montgomery Country Police Department. Be on the lookout for burglars posing as  water workers:

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.

On January 28 at approximately 2:00 pm, 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 pickup 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.

For more information contact 240-773-5030 or email Catherine E. Plevy, Public Information Officer, Takoma Park Police, cathyp @ takomagov.org.

Tip From MPD: Hide Your Opened Electronics Boxes

Here's a very helpful holiday burglary prevention tip from the Metropolitan Police:

After You've Opened the Gifts

Burglars know that many households have new, and oftentimes expensive, items in their homes following the December holidays -- especially items such as new computers and peripherals, stereo components, televisions, cameras and other electronic equipment. In too many cases, residents make it easy for burglars to figure out which homes to target by putting boxes that identify their new gifts in plain view with their other garbage. Avoid becoming an easy target for post-holiday burglars by not leaving boxes for new electronics and other items in the alley or other garbage pick-up locations for several days at a time. Instead, break down any boxes you are throwing out, put them in garbage bags and place them inside a trash can. (In many cases, especially with computer equipment, you might consider keeping the boxes for safe storage, shipping or moving in the future.)

Think about keeping broken-down boxes inside --in a garage, for example-- until the evening before your regular garbage pick-up. Some burglars actually look inside garbage cans for evidence of holiday gifts. And, of course, if you see someone suspicious casing your alley, call the Metropolitan Police Department's non-emergency number, 311. If you see a burglary in progress, call 911.

Homeowners: Be On Guard for Burglar Posing as Interested Buyer/Renter

This burglary alert comes from the Barnaby Woods/Hawthorne neighborhoods, from Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Carolyn "Callie" Cook (ANC 3G-01), who received it directly from one of the burglary victims:

There is a woman going by the name of Kathy Griffin who has been seen in the neighborhood and is a possible member of a burglary ring. She is a white female approximate age 53, 5'4" and 140 pounds, brunette hair. She was seen looking into side and back windows on Western Avenue on November 29 and the early days of December. She was driving a white sedan with Virginia plates.

She approached me pretending to be a renter needing a room to rent. She stayed only 30 minutes and then left saying her allergies were bothering her, although there was no evidence physically of any allergies. After she left, I noticed a laptop was missing and $100 in cash was gone.

It is unknown whether she is armed. While in my house she spent the whole time talking on her cell phone. Now I believe she was talking to other burglars while she cased the house. Earlier in the week, I saw a female looking into windows and I believe that was her as well.

The police have been investigating the burglary and believe she fits the profile of a female who was part of a burglary ring in the neighborhood in the past.

Please be on the lookout for "Kathy Griffin".

Police Catch Burglar in the Act in NE

From the police blotter...

On Saturday October 30, Tactical Patrol Unit 54 received a call that suspicious subjects were tampering with windows in the 300 block of Douglas Street, NE. Officers from the unit arrived and approached several homes in the block; eventually they observed suspects one and two leaving from the front door of one of the residences. The suspects moved several items to the porch area which they intended to steal. Officers chased the suspects for approximately three blocks before apprehending one of the suspects in the 2700 block of 4th Street, NE.

The second suspect escaped. The defendant is a juvenile, therefore his name and address cannot be released. He was charged with burglary in the first degree. We are comparing his forensics to other burglaries in the area at this time.

Burglary in Takoma Park DC Sunday Morning

A burglar broke into a home early this morning in Takoma Park. Here is the firsthand report from the homeowner whose house was broken into from the Takoma Park Listserv. The burglar entered the home through an unlocked door.

I live on Harlan Place, NW between Whittier and Van Buren. This morning someone broke into the house (well, the back door was unlocked) and took the purse that was on the dinning room table. When the intruder was discovered by my dad, who had been sleeping on the couch downstairs, the intruder threw an object at him and then left out the back door. The police were called and they said that there were several incidents like this on my block. The purse that was stolen had a red cell phone in it, a set of car/ work keys and a red wallet.

Home Burglaries on the Increase in the 2nd District MPD

There's been an uptick in burglaries in the Second District. While we sleep, robbers have been breaking into our homes, especially in the wee hours.  Here is the update from Detective Alan Hill on what you can do to prevent your home from being robbed:

The Second District has experienced residential burglaries over the last week. These burglaries have been clustered around the northern end of the Second District (PSA 201, 202,203) in areas such as the 3900 to 3400 blocks of Harrison, Morrison and have extended down Connecticut Ave around Van Ness Street.

These burglaries have taken place mostly in the early morning hours between 1:00am and 5:00am. The common element in most of these burglaries is that the individual enters the rear of the home from an alleyway and checks for unlocked doors and windows. Once inside the individual(s) are removing electronic items and personal effects such as wallets purses and keys.

Watch Out: Burglaries on the Increase in NW DC

Eyes open, everyone.  Burglaries are up in the Second District MPD, which covers Cleveland Park and nearby neighborhoods. (You can view a map of the Second District's area here.)  Here is the bulletin from Second District Commander Matt Klein.

I wanted to alert the community that we’re seeing an increase in burglaries in various locations in the upper-end of the Second District. Some of the burglaries occurred during the night while occupants were asleep. Yesterday, a home was broken into in the 1800 block of 47th Place , as well as a home in the 4600 block of 43rd Place, NW . No one was injured during the burglaries, and residents were not able to provide us with a description of the suspect.