NYPD: Man, Woman Posing As Con Ed Workers Steal $70,000 From Queens Home
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police are trying to track down a man and a woman who they say posed as Con Ed workers to get into a 78-year-old Queens man's home and steal $70,000.
The incident occurred at a home on 74th Avenue in Glendale around 12:15 p.m. last Wednesday.
The suspects went to the home and told the victim they needed to check the fuse box, police said.
The suspects went into the basement with the victim, checked the fuse box, plugged a light into a receptacle and then told the victim to wait for the light to change color, police said.
"It was very suspicious to me," Rudy told CBS 2's John Slattery. " It was very suspicious."
One of the suspects waited in the basement with the victim, while the other went upstairs and took $70,000 -- his life savings -- from the victim's dresser, police said.
The victim, who only gave his first name, Rudy, kept the money in the house to avoid having to go back and forth to the bank, 1010 WINS' Derricke Dennis reported.
"I blame myself for having that much money in the house," Rudy said, adding that he feels nervous and depressed. "I blame myself for letting this man in who had no badge. ... I don't know where he came from."
Neighbors were stunned.
"It took them 11 minutes to go in the house, take something that belongs to him without even ransacking the house," neighbor Michael Valasquez told 1010 WINS. "It's a sad situation. He's a very nice guy. No one deserves that."
Both suspects are believed to be about 40 years old and Hispanic. Police said the male suspect is about 5 feet 8 inches tall and 160 pounds. The woman has long, straight brown hair, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 800-577-TIPS. The public can also submit their tips to the Crime Stoppers website or text their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
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