Cops: Men posing as water workers rob homeowners

Nassau police are investigating a recent spate of incidents in which men posing as water company employees entered homes and, in some cases, stole money.

Incidents occurred Wednesday about noon in Plainview and around 1:30 p.m. in Roslyn Heights, police said, and a similar case was reported last month in North Massapequa.

All victims were in their 80s and 90s, police said. No arrests have been made, and police are unsure whether the perpetrators are the same in each case.

"It appears we have maybe a pattern," Det. Lt. Kevin Smith said Friday.

In the Roslyn Heights incident a 91-year-old woman was robbed when a man impersonating a water district employee distracted her by claiming to check basement pipes while an accomplice stole an undisclosed amount of cash from her Manor Avenue home, police said.

In Plainview, two men claiming to be water company workers entered the Harriet Lane home of a retired couple and began to inspect pipes, police said. When they asked to check an upstairs bathroom, the victims called 911, police said, and the suspects fled without taking anything.

And in North Massapequa, police said a man knocked at the door of a Thorne Avenue home about 4 p.m. on Feb. 11, after two women in their 80s returned from the bank. The suspect said he needed to check the water and entered the house, police said. The suspect led the victims outside and when they returned, police said, cash was gone.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-244-TIPS.

Homeowners should be wary of people saying they are utility workers and asking to enter, even if they appear to have credentials, Smith said. Residents should call police if they're unsure.

By CHRISTINA HERNANDEZ
Posted Saturday, March 21, 2009

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