Scammers Targeted Elderly Havre de Grace Man: Police

HAVRE DE GRACE, MD - The Havre de Grace Police Department is cautioning residents to be vigilant after a man's house was burglarized while he was in the backyard talking to someone posing as a safety worker.

A man in an orange safety vest told the resident, who was an elderly man, that his company was conducting an emergency repair and would need to remove a fence behind the home in the 100 block of Francis Street, according to police.

The "worker" and the resident went into the backyard, at which point it is believed his house was burglarized, with cash and other items stolen, police said.

"The victim reported the subject was talking to another person on a two-way radio and was possibly speaking Spanish," according to police. "The subject then walked away from the victim, leaving him [in] the rear yard. The subject never returned after walking away. During this time, a witness advised observing a black or charcoal-colored pickup truck backing into the victim’s driveway...."

When the resident was in the backyard, someone got out of the truck, police said, based upon the witness's account.

"It’s believed the other suspect entered the residence while the victim was taken to the backyard," police said.

Get news alerts from Havre de Grace Patch and like us on Facebook. Continue reading below.

"Upon investigation, the victim advised earlier in the week he had his driveway repaved by an unknown company," police reported. Workers with that company had been going door-to-door asking whether residents needed driveway repairs, officials said.

Police advise people not to exit their homes with individuals they do not know.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Havre de Grace Police Department at 410-939-2121, extension 1160.

Image via Shutterstock.