Elderly Warned of Robbers Posing as DWP Workers

Sheriff’s deputies are warning South Bay residents to be on the lookout for two men who have posed as Los Angeles city employees to enter homes and steal money from elderly residents.

The two men, who reportedly wear hard hats and drive a brown, late-model van, have gained the confidence of their victims by posing as employees of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and offering a cash rebate of about $20, Sheriff’s Deputy Stacy Lee said.

Both suspects are described as Latino. One is about 5-feet-4, the other is about 6-feet tall and husky, Lee said.

She said that once the men have offered the cash rebate, they ask to check the water pressure in the house. Once inside, Lee said, the men ask victims if they can provide change for a $100 bill. The two men then snatch all of the victim’s money and flee in the van, she said. Lee could not say how much money the men have taken.

Since the beginning of February, the men have used the same scheme twice in Lawndale and once each in Lennox and Pasadena, Lee said. None of the victims were physically harmed, she said.

Dorothy Jensen, a spokeswoman for the Department of Water and Power, said the utility only provides services to residents within the city of Los Angeles. She said all employees wear uniforms and carry a photo identification card.

“(Residents) shouldn’t let people into the house if they can’t identify themselves with proper ID,” she said. Lee agreed, saying residents who suspect they are the target of such a scheme should call the police and refuse to allow the men to enter.