Man allegedly posed as plumber to steal jewelry and money from woman, 71, in NYC

BAY RIDGE, Brooklyn (PIX11) — Police are searching for a man who allegedly posed as a maintenance worker to gain access to a woman’s home — then made off with hundreds of dollars in cash and jewelry.

Investigators say the incident happened on July 4th, around 12:40 in the afternoon, near Fourth Avenue and 84th Street in Bay Ridge. 

The alleged incident started with a kind gesture — a man offering to help a 71-year-old woman with her walker as she entered her apartment. Police say the man returned shortly after claiming he was there to fix a water leak. 

That’s when detectives say he stole $230 from her purse and took about $900 worth of jewelry from her bedroom. Some Bay Ridge residents are now on edge. 

“It makes me feel unsafe because I live around this neighborhood,” said Bay Ridge resident Allison Arizaga. “Usually, this neighborhood has been really good and safe and now hearing this. This is really scary.”

After taking the cash and jewelry, police said the man fled the scene on foot heading southbound on Fourth Avenue. Lizett Chuya said the incident has her thinking more about safety.  

“It’s definitely concerning especially to an elderly woman that age,” she said. “It’s definitely something cold hearted to do but I would definitely be concerned with who’s living around the neighborhood and everyone that’s around it.”

The man was last seen wearing a white t-shirt with gold lettering, dark colored jeans, and white sneakers.

Police have not yet made any arrests in this case. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers.