Man Masquerading As Gas Company Employee Suspected in West Side B&E

A release from the Reading Police Department:

The Reading Police Department is investigating a daytime breaking and entering that occurred at a home on the west side of town Monday according to police chief Mark Segalla.

At approximately 5:30 p.m., Reading Police received a report that someone had broken into a home on King Street. Following an investigation, police determined that the suspect entered the home through an open rear kitchen window, taking jewelry and a Fitbit.

The suspect is described as a light-skinned Hispanic or white male, between 5-feet 11-inches to 6 feet tall, weighing approximately 220 pounds, wearing dark clothes and carrying a clipboard. He was seen leaving the area in an older model black Cadillac SUV with Massachusetts license plates starting with D19.

Police conducted a search of the area and learned that a man matching the suspect's description knocked on a neighbor's door around 1 p.m., stating that he worked for the "gas company." Detectives spoke with National Grid who stated that they do not solicit door-to-door for new customers and have no one in the area checking meters.

This incident mirrors several other house break-ins over the past year, including a break-in that occurred last November.

Anyone who has experienced a similar break-in or has any information about these incidents should contact the Reading Police Detective Unit at 781-942-6713.