San Pablo are warning about a robbery trend targeting elderly community members.
Police showed a video they say follows the trend: Suspects pull up to victims walking on the sidewalk and ask to speak with them. They offer the elderly walkers prayers and fake jewelry. The purpose of this is to get close to the victims. The video provided by police shows the victims walk up to the suspect vehicle and interact with the suspects. While the suspect in the back seat of the vehicle places fake jewelry around one of the victim’s neck, the suspect simultaneously removes his necklace, according to police.
The victim didn’t realize his necklace was gone until it was too late.
Unfortunately, this is not a one-time occurrence.
“We have multiple reports of different vehicles used to conduct these thefts,” police said, adding they aren’t sure whether the same suspects are responsible.
San Pablo police are encouraging community members to be cautious about those driving up in attempts to talk about jewelry or religion and to avoid making close contact with them. Be aware of your surroundings, and be discreet about wearing jewelry or carrying large amounts of cash, police added.
