Full Notification

On Friday, September 30, 2016, 10:00 a.m., a female suspect posing as a CITY
OF TORRANCE employee knocked on the victims’ front door in the 2300 block of 179th Street
and asked the female resident to accompany her to the rear yard for the purpose of installing a
light pole. The suspect went through the side gate while the homeowner went through the
house to the backyard. The suspect asked about the wiring under the house and if anyone else
was in the house that knew about it. The female resident summoned her husband from inside
the residence to the rear yard where the suspect continued to ask questions about installing a
light pole. The suspect frequently communicated to another via radio, explaining to the victims
that she gets paid by the hour and has to keep her boss updated.

After approximately thirty minutes in the backyard, the suspect advised she would be back in
forty minutes with a pamphlet regarding the light poles and hurriedly departed. The victims then
discovered the wife’s jewelry boxes in the bedroom had been emptied.

The suspect attempted the same ruse at 10:55 a.m. in the 3200 block of 178th Street.

The suspect was described as a white female, approximately 30 years of age, 5'03" to 5'04" in
height, medium to muscular build, with dark black hair, dark eyes, wearing a white top and black
pants – a white or Hispanic male remained by the suspect vehicle and appeared to be
communicating with someone via radio.

The suspect vehicle was described as a dark metallic grey 2010 small sedan with the trunk fully
opened, concealing the rear license plate and no front plate.

DISTRACTION RUSES: Crews of suspects work in concert to distract older homeowners
and target valuables and documents within residences. Suspects use home repair scams,
including driveway sealing/ paving, roof sealing/ repair and house painting wherein the work is
very shoddy, incomplete or even nonexistent and will also pose as utility company employees
(Gas, Water, City of Torrance) and tree trimmers to lure the victims outdoors so the crime
partners can enter the residences and steal valuables. The suspects will concentrate on a
relatively small area for several weeks before moving on to another neighborhood or city to
commit their crime. Torrance has experienced a number of these cycles for years, particularly
in the North End.

Click the following link to view bulletin:

http://www.torranceca.gov/TPD/Documents/16-130_DISTRACTION_BURG_ADVISORY(1).pdf

If you have any information regarding this bulletin please contact the Torrance Police Department at 310-328-3456. 

“See Something, Say Something”

Emergency 9-1-1

Non-Emergency: 310-328-3456

Provided By:
Torrance Police Department –
Community Affairs Division
310-618-6391 or 310-618-6392
www.Police.TorranceCA.Gov
www.YouTube.com/TPDCommAffairs
www.Facebook.com/TorrancePD
www.Twitter.com/TorrancePD