Sheriff Reports “Distraction” Burglaries
Written by Dan Fischer on June 5, 2018
News Release
The Genesee County Sheriffs Office has been investigating several “distraction” residential burglaries that occurred within minutes of each other about 3:15PM on the afternoon of June 2, 2018 in the Towns Pembroke and Batavia.
The first report involved a residence on the Batavia-Elba Townline Road, Town of Batavia, where an elderly resident was approached by a man operating a white colored, possibly a KIA, SUV who said he was checking the phone lines and asked to see where the lines were buried in the backyard. Walking out back with the man, another person entered the home and removed cash and jewelry. The crime was interrupted by a relative and the suspects entered the SUV in the driveway and left in a westerly direction. The KIA did not have a front license plate and the rear hatch was open so a rear plate was not visible. The only descriptions provided were two Hispanic males aged 30 to 40 years old, one of whom was wearing a baseball cap, and a black male, aged 30-40 years old.
The second report was made involved a residence on the Indian Falls Road, T/Pembroke where a light brown-skinned male in his late 20s to early 30s knocked on the front door and asked to be shown some trees in the back yard that needed to be cut down. Although suspicious of the man’s story, the resident walked out back while a second person, described similarly to the first male, knocked on the front door which was answered by another resident. During the conversation, the resident saw a third person, described as a light-skinned brown male, similarly aged, exit a side door of the residence. All three then got into a white-colored SUV having no front license plate, leave in a westerly direction. A check of the residence revealed that nothing appeared to have been taken.
In both instances, the man in the back yard had either a telephone or two way radio which is typical of this type of crime, usually referred to as Gypsy activity, where elderly residents are usually targeted. The Sheriffs Office is working with a national organization comprised of law enforcement members that monitor and track this type activity.
It is likely that other residents were similarly approached on June 2nd (Saturday) and may have additional identification information that could assist the Sheriffs Office (585 343-5000).
