BREAKING: Man Posing as Utility Worker Prompts Police to Issue Warning

Police are asking residents to be mindful of suspicious behavior after a man twice posed as a PG&E employee to steal money from unsuspecting residents, police said Thursday. At about 2 p.m. on Monday a resident of a home in the 300 block of Whipple Road heard a knock at her door, according to police.

The resident opened the door and a man said he wanted to see her gas bill, according to police. The resident told the man she does not have gas service and he told her she must give him $145 or have her electricity shut off, police said. The man then asked the resident to use her cellphone and when she refused he got angry and started yelling, police said.

The yelling prompted a family member come to the front door at which time the man became courteous, according to police. He shook hands with the two and left the home, police said. The resident called PG&E to ask whether anyone was in the area collecting bills and a PG&E representative told the resident to call the police, according to police.

The man posed as a PG&E employee a second time a short time later on Stone Street, about a mile from Whipple Road, police said. Video surveillance captured the incident and the description of the man matched the one in the Whipple Road incident, according to police. The man appears to be black and in his 40s, wearing jeans and a purple or blue shirt with the words “Ice Cream” on it, police said.

In both incidents the man did not commit a crime, police said. But they want people to be mindful of suspicious behavior, according to police. Police are encouraging residents to use good judgment when unfamiliar people knock at the door, especially after dark.

Police said to use a peephole to see who is at the door and avoid opening it if the person is unfamiliar. If someone says they are from a utility company, police recommend calling the company to verify it has employees in the area, police said.

If someone claims to be selling something, ask the person for a city-issued business license or permit and identification, according to police.

By Bay City News

Photo courtesy Union City Police