Thieves target the elderly

Police on Friday warned that a group of thieves posing as neighbors may be targeting elderly people in several Newport Beach neighborhoods.

In the past two weeks, there have been two attempted robberies in Corona del Mar and the Dover Shores neighborhood. The suspects and method of operation match four reported incidents in Long Beach at the end of May and early June, said Newport Beach Sgt. Bill Hartford.

During each of the incidents, two people knock at the door of an elderly person’s home, identify themselves as a neighbor and ask to use the phone or the restroom.

A third person stays outside the house.

While inside, one person distracts the elderly person while the other steals small items of value, such as purses or jewelry, Hartford said.

In the Newport Beach incidents, the thieves were not successful.

“The elderly victims felt uncomfortable and asked them to leave,” Hartford said.

The victims did not report the incidents to police until several days after it had occurred when they noticed some property was missing, Hartford said.

Police said the thieves seem to be targeting people in their 70s and 80s who live alone.

“There is a perception that the elderly can be an easy target,” Hartford said.

Regardless of age, police encourage residents to have a complimentary home safety inspection by a police department crime specialist, Hartford said.

It’s unknown how the thieves picked the two different victims in Newport Beach. In both cases, the robberies occurred between 3 and 5 p.m., Hartford said.

The suspects are described as a man between 25 and 30 years old, 5-feet-5, with black hair, brown eyes and medium build; a young man, between 15 and 18 years old, 5-feet-6, 135 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes; and a young woman, between 15 and 20 years old, 5-feet-6 and weighing 100 pounds.

Anyone who thinks he or she may have been a victim of the thieves is asked to call the Newport Beach Police Department at (949) 644-3137. Call 911 if you witness a crime in progress.