Theft From Elderly Shoppers

Ill - Aurora police are investigating at least three thefts from elderly people who were grocery shopping.

The three thefts, along with another incident in Oswego, all are similar and may involve the same suspects.

In the latest incident, an 84-year-old Naperville woman said her purse was stolen while she was shopping at Meijer, 808 N. Route 59.

A female suspect is described as black with a small build, about 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighing about 120 pounds with black hair. Her companion is a black man with a medium build, about 6 feet tall and weighing about 200 pounds. The female suspect matches the description of a woman who stole the checkbooks of two other elderly women in Aurora and one in Oswego in recent weeks.

Anyone with information on the identity of the woman is asked to call Aurora police at (630) 801-6655, Oswego police at (630) 551-7349 or Aurora Area Crime Stoppers at (630) 892-1000.

Callers to Crime Stoppers are anonymous and qualify for a cash reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest.

Source:
Aurora police investigating thefts from elderly shoppers

Wanted for Theft From Elder

CA - Tom Traylor is wanted by the San Diego Regional Fugitive Task Force on a no bail felony warrant for theft or embezzlement of property from an elder or dependent adult.

Traylor is known to frequent the Carlsbad and East County areas of San Diego. He is currently on parole and is considered a parolee at large.

Traylor, 39, is a white male with brown hair and brown eyes. He is 5 foot 10 inches tall and weighs about 185 pounds.

He has a tattoo on his back of a dragon coming out of a wave, a skull tattooed on both arms and the name 'Sarah' on his chest.

Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $1,000 reward to anyone with information that leads to his arrest. If you have any information, call the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 888-580-8477. You can also email or text anonymously. To do so, click here.

Source:
Crime Stoppers Seeks Fugitive Of The Week

Preying On Elderly For Money

TX - Cayce police are searching for a man they believe is preying on the elderly in an effort to get money.

Officers are searching for 37-year-old James Lynell Ridgeway, Jr.

Investigators think Ridgeway took money in advance from at least one elderly victim, then did little or no work in return. Officers say the man offered to pressure wash a home and perform other maintenance.

Investigators warned the public not to enter into any agreements with Ridgeway.

Officers say he scammed a woman who doesn't want to be identified. Investigators say Ridgeway pressure washed the woman's home, but promised a number of other services that he did not provide.

On June 30th, the victim says Ridgeway knocked on her door around 7 p.m. with no shirt or shoes.

The elderly woman said: "He said, could you possibly let me clean your house, because I have two little children and I don't have any work."

She says he handed her a flyer and said he could do a number of home repairs, but he needed the money upfront.

"Right then, I was a bit suspicious, but I didn't stop talking to him," she said, "I was stupid enough to give him the money."

But the victim did make him sign a contract and Ridgeway returned the next day with a helper to pressure wash the driveway and house.

"All the time, he was asking me for the money, his friend was out there working on the thing, so, I really didn't have a reason to suspect he wasn't going to do everything else," said the victim.

But when she noticed the contracts were missing off her kitchen table one night, then she knew she'd been scammed.

The victim called the number on the flyer that had worked the day before, and she says it'd been disconnected. But Ridgeway called her, asking to borrow $400 to get his truck out of the shop, and he'd pay her back $550.

Now, she's out $1,300, but not out of advice for others who may come across Ridgeway.

"Don't let him get your sympathy, because he will prey on your sympathy," said the victim.

Ridgeway is 5 feet 10 inches tall, and weighs 160 pounds.

Anyone with information should call Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC, or e-mail a tip in to www.midlandscrimestoppers.com. You can also text information in by texting "TIPSC" plus your message to CRIMES (274637). Either way you choose, your identity will remain anonymous, and you could be eligible for a cash reward.

Source:
Police Believe Man Preys on Elderly for Money

Elderly Missing From Nursing Home

NM - Authorities continue to search for a 77-year-old man missing from a Las Cruces nursing home for over a week.

The family of Brayton Smoot is now offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to his safe return.

Police said Smoot walked away from the Golden Mesa Assisted Living Center around 6:30 p.m. on July 3. He is experiencing the onset of Alzheimer's disease and becomes confused.

Smoot is white with blue eyes and thick, grayish salt-and-pepper hair. He is six feet tall and weighs 185 lbs. He wears glasses and he was last seen wearing khaki pants, a plaid shirt and black boots.

Smoot's daughter, Kathy Smoot, told ABC-7 that her father can respond to his name. She said he was last seen on July 6 on Doniphan in West El Paso when he talked to a police officer. New Mexico state police said Smoot has also reportedly been seen near the Hotel Encanto at Telshor/Foothills, at the corner of El Paseo and Idaho and at the Bridge of the Americas.

Kathy said she believes sudden hard times may have caused her father to leave the nursing home. His wife suffered a heart attack in June and is still being treated, and one of his sons died on July 3. The funeral for his son was Saturday.

Kathy says the family is heartbroken and desperately wants their father back.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Brayton Smoot is asked to call Las Cruces Crime Stoppers at (575) 526-8000 or outside the Las Cruces area at 1-800-897-2746. You can also contact the Las Cruces Police Department at (575) 526-0795.

Source:
Elderly LC man still missing; family offers reward money

Woman Accused of Victimizing an Elderly

CA - Bakersfield Police need help finding a woman accused of victimizing an elderly person.

Police say the suspect stole property, and money from the victim's northeast Bakersfield home.

The suspect is 24-year-old Lauren Ruth Vance, the incident she's wanted for stems from a burglary in April where authorities say Vance was familiar with the elderly victim, and cased the home prior to burglarizing it. Detective Mary DeGeare: "The elderly are more vulnerable, they come from a time period where they want to trust people." It's that trust police say may have been violated Vance allegedly broke into a home in April, stealing money, and property from an elderly resident.

DeGeare: "She knew them, she was familiar with their habits, with their assets, and waited until they were not home, and planned and participated in the burglary."

Police say Vance is wanted for residential burglary, grand theft and financial elder abuse.

Sandy Morris, with the BPD's crime prevention unit: "Financial abuse to an elder is financial suicide."

Morris say in these types of situations, where the suspect knows the victim, then takes advantage of them, it can be especially damaging.

Morris: "If you and I get taken advantage of, we buy something that's bogus and we have to recoup the money, we can go to work tomorrow and make it back. But a senior has no way of doing that."

That's why Morris says it's important to keep a watchful eye on your elderly residents.

If you have any information on this case, or know the whereabouts of Lauren Vance, you are asked to call police at 327-7111.

Source:
Bakersfield police need help finding a woman accused of elder abuse

Checkbook-Swiping Woman

ILL - A woman who police have a surveillance photo of is suspected of stealing check books from elderly women as they shopped at stores in two western suburbs, then cashing several of the checks.

The suspect, who appears to be about 5-foot-3 and weighs 125 pounds, is suspected of lifting the checkbook out of the purse of a 68-year-old North Aurora woman who was shopping at a grocery store in the 1200 block of North Lake Street in Aurora on May 13, the release said. The victim told detectives that the suspect first asked the woman if she would hand her an item from an upper shelf, apparently to distract her. The victim then found out that the woman cashed one of her checks about 45 minutes after she discovered her check book missing.

Also on May 13, Oswego Police said a woman noticed her wallet missing after she shopped at a grocery/department store at Route 30 and Orchard Road. Later in the day, the woman cashed a check from the victim's account at a bank in the 6600 block of Route 34, which is the picture police are releasing from the surveillance system.

The suspect struck again on June 23, after a 79-year-old woman noticed her checkbook missing after shopping at a home improvement store in Oswego. Later the same day, the suspect cashed two checks from the woman's account at an Aurora bank in the 1300 block of North Farnsworth Avenue.

The total loss in the three incidents is about $3,500. In all three cases, the suspect apparently used an out of state identification card that turned out to be stolen last year.

Anyone with information on the identity of the woman is asked to call Aurora Police, (630) 801-6655, Oswego Police (630) 551-7349; or Aurora Area Crime Stoppers, (630) 892-1000. Callers to Crime Stoppers are anonymous and qualify for a cash reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest.

Source:
Woman Suspected Of Lifting Checkbooks From Elderly

Missing Teen

TX - CCPD is seeking the assistance of the public in locating the following missing, possibly endangered, person:

Ryan Ramirez, age 16. Ramirez was last seen at this grandparents' residence in the 1200 block of Florida street on April 3, 2009 at approximately 10:00 PM. Ramirez left behind a note indicating he intended to run away and has not been heard from nor seen since. His grandparents, who have guardianship, are worried because he also left behind prescribed medication. Ramirez, who is 5'6" tall, 120lbs with black hair and brown eyes, may have traveled to San Antonio to visit a girlfriend or family members.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Ryan Ramirez is urged to call Sr. Officer J. Lerma in CID at 886-2677 or 886-2840.

Family members are extremely worried about his well-being and are desperately hoping for any confirmation that he is in good health.

Source:
CCPD Seeks Public's Help In Locating Missing Teen

Tied Up and Held at Knife Point

SC - Richland County deputies are looking for a female suspect who they say tied up an elderly couple and held them at knife point early Sunday morning.

Deputies are looking for 30-year-old Jenine Obert-Pozzi, who is wanted for First Degree Burglary, Armed Robbery, Grand Larceny of a Motor Vehicle and Kidnapping.

Around 2:30 a.m., deputies responded to a home on Overbrook Drive, just off of Rosewood Drive, where an 81-year-old male and an 80-year-old female had been pushed to the ground tied up and held at knifepoint in their home by Obert-Pozzi, who is an acquaintance.

Authorities say the suspect has been to the victims' home several times in the past and was familiar enough with the victims to let her in their home.

Deputies say Obert-Pozzi tied the victims up as she began going through their personal belongings. Investigators are still trying to figure out what items were taken.

Sheriff Leon Lott says the victims were injured during the incident, but were not transported to the hospital.

Deputies say Obert-Pozzi left the scene in the victims' dark green 1996 Toyota Corolla with license plate number NG2028.

Obert-Pozzi is 5'2 and weighs 200 pounds.

If you have information know where Obert-Pozzi is, please contact CrimeStoppers, at 1-888-CRIME-SC, text a tip to "CRIMES" (274637) beginning with "TIPSC" or visit the CrimeStoppers website.

Source:
Elderly Couple Tied Up, Held at Knifepoint Inside Home

Locked in Shed and Robbed

FL - An elderly man had to use a chain saw to escape a storage shed after two thieves locked him inside.

The 75-year-old man told deputies he saw two juveniles pass by his home as he walked into a storage shed. He turned to see one of the juveniles close the door on him.

He had to use a chainsaw to cut a hole through the door. He crawled out and found his home on Lake Como Drive burglarized.

The thieves have not been caught, and investigators don't have a strong enough description of them.

Investigators hope to get a tip from someone. Call Crime Stoppers at 1-88-277-TIPS. You'll remain anonymous and could receive a cash reward of up to $1,000 if your information leads to an arrest.

Source:
Putnam County Thieves Lock Elderly Man in Shed

Posed as Victim, Stole Thousands

IN - A woman stole a 74-year-old woman's wallet and then posed as the elderly victim to steal thousands of dollars from her account, Indianapolis police said.

Sgt. Paul Thompson said police are looking for the woman and that investigators think she may have pulled off similar schemes in the past.

Wearing a wig, red glasses and a dark jacket, the woman was seen on surveillance images taken inside a bank.

The incident began on May 19, when the victim reported her wallet had been taken at a Marsh store in Nora.

Thompson: "She received a call that two of her credit cards had been fraudulently used at a local store." The total purchases on those two attempts were almost $4,000. Luckily, the store did not approve those particular purchases, and that fraud was prevented."

However, the woman was able to withdraw $6,500 from the victim's account at the National City Bank on North Meridian Street.

Investigators do believe there is a disguise being used by the suspect.
Police asked anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS.

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Police: Woman Posed As Elderly Victim, Stole Thousands

Man Beat Up Elderly

NV - Police are looking for a man they say beat up an elderly victim at a bus stop. The attack happened on May 1, 2009 during rush hour near Sahara and Fort Apache.

The suspect made off with the man's Social Security money.

Police believe the suspect may be known as Ricky. Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 385-5555.

Source:
Police Hunt Man Who Beat, Robbed Elderly Victim

Suspected of Beating Elderly Couple

TX - Law enforcement officials are looking for man accused of pistol-whipping and robbing an elderly couple in their Pasadena home last month.

According to officials the suspect, who has not been identified, was armed with a short-barrel pistol when he burst into the home in the 3900 block of Ecuador about 9 a.m. April 7.

He held the couple captive for about an hour, allegedly beat the pair with the gun and stole cash and jewelry.

Neighbors told investigators that they had seen the suspect nearby walking in front of apartments in the 3500 block Burke before the alleged assault.

He is described as a black male between 23 and to 27 years old and between 6 feet tall and 6-foot-4, weighing between 170 pounds and 200 pounds.

He was wearing an orange and yellow safety vest, black pants and a dark shirt.

People with information about the case are urged to call Crime Stoppers at called in to 713-222-TIPS or submit tips online at http://www.crime-stoppers.org/

Crime Stoppers pays up to $5,000 for information that leads to the identification, arrest or charging of the suspect.

All tipsters remain anonymous.

Source:
Police seek suspect in beating of Pasadena couple

Wanted For Burglary and Assault

DE - State Police are asking the public's help in locating a 23-year-old Felton man wanted for assaulting an elderly man early.

Troopers responded to a home on Jennifer Lane in Felton after 911 was called reporting an intruder had entered the home of the 78-year-old victim and assaulted him. Detectives learned that the homeowner was awoken after a dog began barking. He was concerned and began checking his home when he went into the Florida room attached to the rear of his home.

Police say the man observed an intruder hiding behind a chair and confronted him. According to police, the suspect then attacked the victim with his hands causing cuts, bruises and abrasions to the legs, hands and face of the victim. The intruder then fled the area.

As police continued investigating, they learned the victim had been receiving several hang-up phone calls recently raising suspicion as to who committed this act of violence. Police say the troopers also learned the victim's granddaughter recently began staying with him. Police say the troopers were able to secure the telephone number that repeatedly was calling and hanging up and discovered it was registered to 23-year-old Michael A. Zimmer Jr. of Felton.

Police learned Zimmer was the ex-boyfriend of the victim's granddaughter and obtained a photograph of him. According to police, the victim looked at the photo and immediately identified Zimmer as the attacker. The granddaughter was not home when the incident occurred.

Police have obtained arrest warrants for Zimmer charging him with first-degree burglary, second-degree assault and harassment. Anyone who has information on his whereabouts is urged to call 911, Troop 3 at (302) 697-4455 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333.

Tips may also be forwarded to law enforcement through tip lines maintained by Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or online at http://www.tipsubmit.com/

Source:
Felton Man Wanted for Assaulting Elderly Homeowner

Fourth Grader Abducted

CA - Tomas Betsis-Dunstan, a fourth grade student at Marquez Charter Elementary School, was abducted by a non-custodial parent, George Betsis, on the morning of April 3.

Principal Phillip Hollis: "We did have a custody issue. It is now in the hands of the LAPD."

According to a police report, the child was dropped off at 8:50 a.m. and the father was seen taking him away from the school a few minutes later. Police speculate that the father was waiting for the boy to be dropped off and then grabbed him.

Betsis, an Australian national, is in a custody battle with his ex-wife over guardianship of the child. He asked Australian courts to grant him guardianship, but was denied. A U.S. court ordered Betsis to return his son to the West Los Angeles police station. Betsis called the station and acknowledged the order, but told an officer he would not comply.

Police are now seeking the public's help in locating the 10-year-old boy and his 49-year-old father.

Tomas is white, weighs 110 pounds, has a medium build and has dark hair. His father is described as 5'8' tall, 200 pounds, with brown hair and eyes, a medium build and dark complexion. Betsis is believed to be driving a 2009 gray Kia Sorrento with the California license plate 6ELL191.

Betsis is considered a flight risk. "We've taken precautions so that he won't leave the country, and Australian officials have been notified."

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Betsis or Tomas is asked to call Mounger at (310) 444-1533. After-hours and on weekends, calls may be directed to the West Los Angeles watch commander at (310) 444-0701 or to a 24-hour, toll-free number at 1-877-527-3247. Callers may also text 'Crimes' with a cell phone or log on to http://www.lapdonline.org/and click on Web tips. When using a cell phone, all messages should begin with 'LAPD.'

Tipsters may remain anonymous.

Source:
Marquez Fourth Grader Abducted

Elderly Scam Gypsies

NV - More victims are contacting police to say they were scammed by two people targeting the elderly.

Judy Stevens, one of the suspects, was in court for an appearance on robbery charges. Her bail was set at $100,000. She and Rick Shawn are accused of stealing at least $91,000 from more than a dozen elderly victims.

Police now say Shawn and Stevens conned at least 19 people over the age of 73 years old in the Las Vegas Valley.

Las Vegas Metro Police now believe that the con may be a family affair. Police sources say relatives of Rick Shawn may be involved in scamming the elderly. This new information comes as Judy Stevens went to court and got a judge to reduce her bail.

CrimeStoppers photos were released in May of 2008. Police say the couple targeted the elderly and the man in the picture may be a close relative of Shawn.

Shawn is also accused of befriending a 79-year-old man suffering from dementia in Cyrpress, California and talking him into handing over $19,000. Shawn is also under investigation in Washinton, Oregon and Arizona.

Police believe there may be more victims who haven't come forward. Investigators are asking them to call the Metro Financial Crimes Unit at 828-3285.

Full Article and Source:
More Details Emerge in Elderly Scam

Stealing From Patients

NC – Police need help identifying a woman caught on a surveillance camera stealing from hospital patients.

Police say the woman has been walking into rooms at Carolinas Medical Center and other hospitals taking credit cards and other possessions from patients.

If you know who she is, you're asked to call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

Source:
Woman accused of stealing from hospital patients

Wanted on Aggravated Sexual Assault

TX - Crime Stoppers is rewarding up to $5,000 for tips leading to the arrest of a 48-year-old man wanted on child-related charges.

Marcus Paul Jones is wanted on Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child and Indecency with a Child charges, according to a Crime Stoppers statement. Charges were filed against him after Harris County detectives investigated allegations he inappropriately touched and sexually assaulted a then 6-year-old boy.

The boy, who is now 14, allegedly told investigators the incidents occurred on several occasions, according to the statement.

Jones is described as a white male with brown hair and brown eyes. He is 6 feet tall and weighs 160 pounds. His last known address is near the 13000 block of Woodforest Boulevard in Houston.

Anyone with information regarding Jones' whereabouts is encouraged to call the Crime Stoppers hot line at 713-222-8477 or submit an online tip at http://www.crime-stoppers.org/

All tipsters remain anonymous.

Source:
Man Wanted on Child Sex Assault Charge

Elderly Set on Fire

TX - A 78-year-old Grand Prairie woman was set on fire after being sexually assaulted in her home Monday, police said.

The woman, who police did not identify, is at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, where she is recovering from second-degree burns to her stomach and her chin, said Det. John Brimmer, a Grand Prairie police spokesman.

Investigators say they believe the man, described as in his mid-20s and weighing between 160 and 190 pounds, set the woman on fire after he poured rubbing alcohol on her chest.

Police said the man gained entry to the woman's home on Sunnyvale Road after he introduced himself as "Daniel," a 22-year-old from Chicago who was living in an area motel. He told her that he was doing a communication exercise that would help him get into college. He told her that the more people he talked to the more points her earned.

At some point during the conversation the man attacked her. After talking to several witnesses in the area, police say they believe he may have been selling magazines.

Police describe the man as black, between 6-feet and 6-feet-4-inches tall and wearing his hair in corn row-style braids. During the assault, he was wearing a white shirt and pants that were black, yellow and red.

Police are asking anyone with information about the case or who may have been contacted by a man fitting this description, to call Detective Tracy Hinson at 972-237-8777 or Crime Stoppers at 972-988-8477.

Source:
Elderly Grand Prairie woman raped, set on fire

Preying on the Elderly

TX - Police arrested a self-proclaimed gypsy they say conned an elderly couple out of thousands of dollars.

Police say Danny Groffo and his alleged accomplice, Kathleen Frank, convinced a west Houston couple to pay them $500 for some minor home repairs, but ended up bilking them out of $24,000. Frank, who also claims to be a gypsy, is still at large, investigators said.

District Attorney Valerie Turner: “They don’t steal with guns or with force; they steal with their brains and with their mouths. Their victims may be physically feeble, unable to take care of work around their house, and are more willing to trust folks. It’s sad.”

Turner said the original fee proposed by Groffo and Frank to fix cracks in the couple’s driveway and to power wash a fence was fair, but each day they kept jacking up the price. Plus, the work wasn’t getting done. “They raised the price by tens of thousands of dollars.”

The elderly couple said they were too afraid to get out of the deal because the suspects became aggressive and were scaring them.

One day, the suspects allegedly forced the woman of the house to withdraw $8,000 from her bank while they kept an eye on her from a Whataburger across the street.

“What is frustrating about this case is that the woman felt intimidated. She was shaking, she was nervous and she feared for her and her husband’s safety,” Turner said.

One of the last payments the couple made was with a $5,000 check, which ended up giving investigators a break in the case.

An investigator from HPD’s Major Offenders Division learned the $5,000 check was cashed inside a bar near the Hempstead Highway. That’s how police were able to identify the suspects.

Turner : “I am willing to bet there are other victims out there, and just like this couple, they are too embarrassed to report it to the police. Hopefully, by seeing this story, they’ll see that they weren’t the only ones that were taken advantage of.”

If you have information that can help police, call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

Source:
Police arrest self-proclaimed gypsy accused of preying on the elderly

Looking For Shooting Suspect

AL - The Escambia County Sheriff's Office have released the name and picture of a suspect in the shooting of an elderly man.

Police say Tracy Konewko shot and pistol whipped 81-year-old Charles Moore Thursday afternoon during a robbery at his home on Emory Drive. Fortunately, Moore survived the attack.

If you know where to find Konewko, please call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at 850.436.9620 and ask for Investigator James O’Hara or call Crime Stoppers at 850.433.STOP.

Source:
Woman Wanted For Shooting Elderly Man

Deputies Looking For Shooting Suspect