A man posing as a county worker distracted two elderly people in North Bellmore and Massapequa Park while an accomplice burglarized their homes on Tuesday, Nassau police said. 
In the first case, the man approached an 88-year-old man while he was in the garage of his North Bellmore home and told the victim that he needed to talk to him about his neighbor’s fence at 3:45 p.m. The victim and his wife, 81, let the man enter their home and then went into the backyard with the burglar to discuss the work being done, police said.
The wife became suspicious and demanded to see the man’s identification, according to 1st Squad detectives. The suspect left to retrieve his ID but never returned. That’s when the victim went into her bedroom and realized assorted jewelry was missing.
An hour and a half later in Massapequa Park, a man posing as a county surveyor knocked on the door of an 83-year-old woman’s Brendan Avenue home and told the victim he was there to survey her neighbor’s fence. The victim went into the rear yard with the man and left the front door open.
While in the yard, the suspect had a conversation on his cell phone and then fled the scene on foot, according to 7th Squad detectives. The victim went back inside her house and discovered that her bedroom had been ransacked and assorted jewelry was missing.
The suspect in both cases was described as a white man in his 50s, 5’8” to 5’10” tall, wearing a blue baseball cap with the word “county” on it and a blue jacket. He also was described as carrying a walkie talkie type phone on his belt in the second case.
Detectives ask anyone with information regarding this crime to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous.
Police offered tips on how residents can protect themselves from being victimized by these individuals:
1. Make sure your doors and windows are locked even when you are at home.
2. Set your home burglar alarm system every time you leave your house even if it’s for a short period of time.
3. Lock valuables in a safe and don’t leave cash and jewelry in a conspicuous place such as the bedrooms, kitchen, or counter.
4. Ask for proper identification of individuals before you allow them onto your property or into your home, especially if you are not expecting anyone. Any Nassau County employee will have photo identification.
5. If you are unsure of a persons credentials, ask for an office call back number.
Residents should report any suspicious activity immediately by calling 911.
