Man sought for thefts from elderly
8/1/2001Toledo police are looking for a man who is targeting elderly residents by getting into their homes, asking to mow their lawn or for a drink of water, and then stealing from them.
Authorities hope to track the man by his dark green Jeep or the two names he is giving.
About 8 a.m. Friday, a man twice unsuccessfully offered lawn service to a resident in the 1200 block of Corbin Road. Ninety minutes later, a man tried to sell a similar service at a residence in the 3900 block of Martha Avenue. Again denied, he went to the house of an 88-year-old woman a block away.
He jiggled open a poorly-latched storm door, walked into her house, offered her lawn care, and asked for a drink. He left and she found her wallet missing from a dining room chair, police said.
Four days earlier, a similar incident occurred at a 70-year-old West Crawford Avenue woman's house when a man stole a woman's purse.
The same man may have stolen a television and video camera July 19 from a garage at a residence on Fairview Drive. He is suspected of taking compact discs, cameras, and electronics Saturday from a woman on Indian River Road, and a business card case and money from a woman on Egger Road on July 24.
The man is described as black, in his 20s, and 6 feet tall with a thin build. He goes by the names of Jay or Kevin Billips. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stopper at 255-1111.