SAN FRANCISCO—Two men posing as city utility workers burglarized two San Francisco homes on Monday, February 9.
Monday’s burglaries were the most recent in a string of burglaries that led to January’s official warning from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission concerning robbery and home invasion.
In the first robbery, which took place at 2:40 p.m., the suspects posed as representatives of the city’s water department. Three men came to a home on the 2300 block of Bryant Street, convincing the 62-year-old resident to leave the house so that they could conduct and inspect her pipes.
The suspects then robbed the home, taking two handguns and the woman’s car keys.
In the second robbery, the trio victimized a home on the 2000 block of Carroll Avenue at around 4 p.m. They knocked on the door, convincing the 15-year-old boy who answered that the men were workers with PG&E.
To facilitate their disguise as utility workers, the suspects intentionally broke the home’s water heater and instructed the boy to stand next to the broken device while the men entered the home and robbed the family of money and valuables.
The suspects in both cases have been described as men been between the ages of 30 and 45. The San Francisco Police Department has not ruled-out the possibility that the robberies were committed by the same group of men.
SFPUC workers wear vests with a city seal and also drive work vehicles labeled with the city seal. Utility workers rarely have any reason to enter a home. If they do, they must have an appointment with the residents first.
Authorities are currently investigating both of Monday’s robberies. Anyone with information is asked to contact the San Francisco Police Department at (415) 575-4444, or text TIP411 with “SFPD” at the beginning of the message.
