On 08-28-14 at approximately 12 noon, a resident of Mesa Court was the victim of burglary. A man claiming to be a plumber rang the front doorbell and told the resident that a sewage problem down the street had made the water undrinkable.
The suspect entered the residence without permission and proceeded to distract the elderly homeowner by turning on water faucets at various locations inside and outside of the residence.
While the victim was distracted, another suspect entered the residence through the front door that had been left open. The second suspect took an unknown number of gold pieces and a large diamond from the master bedroom.
The investigation revealed that the spouse had likely been contacted by the suspect at the Sharon Heights Safeway just prior to the burglary. Under pressure from the suspect, she revealed her home address.
Such distraction burglaries are being reported more often, but this is the first reported in Atherton. More information about distraction burglaries can be found here:
Distraction Burglary Information