Burglar Poses as Water Company Employee: Police

A man posing as a water company employee is suspected in two burglaries in the past week in Anne Arundel County, according to police.

The most recent incident happened about 10:47 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 1. Officers were called to the 200 block of Hammonds Ferry Road in Linthicum, where a woman reported she was approached by an Hispanic man, who claimed to work for a local water company.

The suspect said he was investigating a water leak and checked several areas of the woman’s house. After he left, the victim realized she was missing some personal property. There may have been another person involved who entered the house while the woman was distracted by the suspect.

The suspect is described as a Hispanic man about 5’08”, 220 pounds, wearing a blue baseball-style hat, blue shirt and tan pants.

This is the second incident in the last week with similar circumstances and suspect description.

If someone arrives at a home claiming to be an Anne Arundel County employee, they should be able to provide identification. If the visit is not prearranged or is unscheduled, police urge residents to contact the county agency that the employee reports to work for to verify their identity.

Police say that if the person’s presence causes residents to be suspicious or uncomfortable, they should call 911 and ask for an officer to respond.

If anyone with information about this burglary should contact the Northern District Detective Unit at 410-222-6135 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7LOCKUP; text “MCS plus your message” to CRIMES (274637); or visit the website at http://www.metrocrimestoppers.net.

Phone calls are not recorded and callers remain anonymous. You may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000.