Bandits Use 5-Year-Old As Distraction In Home Robbery Scam
Angelenos, if a man and a woman knock on your door or approach you with a young child in tow and ask for your hospitality, direct the group elsewhere. A 89-year-old Glendora woman fell victim to a similar home robbery sham Tuesday.
Vera Mullen was approached outside her home by a 60-something-year-old woman who inquired if Mullen needed some housework done. The two engaged in small talk, then a man in his twenties and a little girl joined the women. He explained he was ill and needed to use Mullen's bathroom. Since the child was present, Mullen agreed to his request, or as she told CBS LA Wednesday, "I was dumb enough to say yes."
While inside Mullen's home of over 50 years, the man "stayed a little longer" than Mullen felt he should have. When he exited the home, the trio left. Instead of using the loo, the man heisted about $700 in cash from wallets and approximately $1,000 worth of jewelry from dresser drawers.
Shocked and angered by the incident, Mullen learned a valuable lesson after losing her valuables. "I will never let anyone else inside my house," she said.
Police Lt. Jamie Caldwell said the force has never seen anything like the ruse and offered the following advice regarding strangers. "If you don't know them, don't let them in."
