BEACHWOOD, Ohio — The Beachwood Police Department is warning residents about suspicious persons wanting to check your water for “COVID concerns.”
If you encounter someone wanting to check your water for COVID-19, police say not to let them in your home. You should also call the police department right away.
Authorities ask anyone who encounters someone from this type of incident to get a good description of them and the vehicle they are in.
One of these incidents was reported to Beachwood police over the weekend. Highland Heights police have also received two reports about similar situations.
The first happened Friday afternoon on Cranbook Drive. The second incident happened Saturday on Stanwell Drive.
"They gained entry to the home, they had the residents boil water on the stove, and the other suspect was going through the house and there was a theft mainly of cash and jewelry," said Highland Heights Police Chief James Cook.
Authorities say that in one of Highland Heights incidents, the person was driving a black Dodge Journey with a fake Texas temporary license plate of 96227U7. The vehicle also had a “Fighting Irish” bumper sticker. The other incident involved a black Ford pickup truck with the same license tag.
The Highland Heights police chief said detectives are trying to identify the two vehicles and the men involved.
He said both times, the crooks targeted victims in their 80s and 90s.
While no one has been hurt in any of the cases, Cook worries that could change if the thieves aren't caught soon.
"That's my fear," said Cook. "It's not a good situation when you have somebody in your home committing theft when it's an occupied dwelling.
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