On Monday 9/30/13 at 3:50 PM the Mentor Police Department responded to a burglary of a home on Forest Lane. A female knocked on the door of an 81 year old resident claiming to represent a tree trimming business. He allowed her inside to speak with her further. She was on her cell phone the entire time. She asked him to show her his back yard, and both of them went outside. Soon afterword, a home health aid arrived and found a male inside of the home coming out of a bedroom. The male claimed to be from the tree trimming service. When the home health aid went out to verify this with the resident, the male and female immediately left. The resident later discovered that a diamond ring, several rare gold coins, and several older $100 bills had been stolen from his bedroom. The total loss was over $35,000.

The male and female suspects were driving a newer silver or white SUV with a rear lift door. She is described as white, with a small frame, brunette hair, and she did not speak English well. The male is described as white or Hispanic with a darker complexion, about 5’8” tall with a stocky build.

We want to remind all residents that this type of scam is not uncommon. These subjects usually gain entry by representing themselves as some sort of service provider, and they are usually in contact with one another using a cell phone or radios. One subject will appear to be alone and get the homeowner to go outside of the home or preoccupy them in a certain location such as a basement. While doing this they are communicating with a second subject. Once the resident is preoccupied with the first subject, the second subject then steals items from the home.

Do not allow any unknown persons into your home or allow them to occupy your time in a location outside of your home. If you believe they are a legitimate service provider and you have an interest in their service, schedule a time for them to return when another person is home or when a friend or relative can be with you. This type of crime primarily targets elderly residents but is not limited to them.

If anyone has information about this incident or possible related incidents, please contact the Mentor Police Department at 440-974-5760.

Lieutenant Timothy Allen
Mentor Police Department