JACINTO CITY, Texas – Jacinto City police said a man distracted an elderly woman by impersonating a city worker, and stole thousands of dollars in cash and jewelry.
Mary, 76, was working in her front yard in Jacinto City when a man came up to her claiming to be a city inspector, according to police.
"He walked up and said that he was the city inspector, and that he needed to show me stuff in the backyard," Mary said.
He told her he wanted to show her where he needed to dig a big hole for utilities in her backyard.
But police say as she went into the backyard, someone snuck into her home and stole $8,000 worth of jewelry and $700 in cash.
Mary said she was saving her money to buy a new water heater because her old one went out in January.
"If you don't know who it is, you aren't for sure 100 percent who it is, call the police right away. Call right away. Because someone in the city should know if they actually have a permit to come out and work," said Sgt. Dennis Walker with the Jacinto City Police Department.
Mary said the man was wearing a blue shirt, blue pants, some sort of identification that she could not read, and a blue baseball cap that said "line man."
"These guys, that are coming in here and doing and attacking our old people, I'm 76 years old and I feel like they could have just taken me out and beaten the hell out of me and it would have just have been just as bad," Mary said.
If you have any information you can remain anonymous and call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.