Distraction Burglary Investigated In West Hartford

WEST HARTFORD, CT — Police are investigating a distraction burglary in which two men entered a West Hartford home after telling the elderly residents that they needed to come in and check their pipes, according to police. At about 3 p.m. on Aug. 3, police responded to an unknown disturbance on Jessamine Street with the complainant reporting hearing someone yell “Call 911,” according to the police report.

“Upon arrival, officers found an elderly male in the kitchen by the sink and an elderly female in the basement near the washing machine and sink,” police wrote in the report. “The female explained that two men came to the front door and told her that they needed to enter the house and check their pipes. The elderly male was instructed to stay in the kitchen and turn on the sink faucet.

“The elderly female was instructed to go to the basement and run the washing machine as well as the basement sink faucet. Both were instructed to stay at their positions while the two men checked the entire house. The elderly female stated she became suspicious of the men after she had been left in the basement for a while and they never came back down to tell her to turn the water off.”

Police said there were no reported injuries and no reported damage. It wasn’t immediately known if anything was stolen from the house.

The man who did the majority of the talking was described as a white male in his 30s or 40s and was wearing a white button-down shirt and dark tie. The second man was described as a white male in his 20s.

Police canvassed the area and a neighbor reported seeing four white males in the area around 2:30 p.m. One of the men was reported to be wearing a button-down shirt and tie.

Police said the MDC was contacted and advised of the incident.

“MDC reported that none of their employees were scheduled to be working in this area at the time of the incident,” police said.

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