Phony 'water workers' strike in Granite Bay

Two men posing as water company employees burglarized a Granite Bay home at 9 a.m. Wednesday, July 23.According to a press release issued by Dena Erwin, Placer County Sheriff's public information officer, the two men were able to distract the elderly Hillgrove Street homeowner long enough to steal a safe from his home. The safe contained some cash and documents.The first suspect approached the home around 9 a.m. and knocked on the front door, Erwin reported. When the victim answered, the suspect told him he worked for the water company and that he needed to turn on his water due to a problem in the area.The suspect, who was wearing a tool belt and an identification badge that was turned around backward, Erwin reported, entered the home with the victim. He took the victim into the backyard and told him to hold the hose and keep the water running.When the suspect re-entered the home, he let a second suspect into the front door, according to a witness.Erwin described the suspects as being Hispanic, 5-feet, 8-inches to 6-feet tall, with stock builds. They both had brown hair and eyes. The first suspect was wearing a blue work shirt with an orange T-shirt underneath.Erwin urges anyone with information to contact the Sheriff's Department at (530) 889-7800.She also reminded residents that they should call any utility company before allowing a worker inside their home, especially if they do not have an appointment. An elderly couple in Loomis was the victim of the same type of ruse earlier this summer. Two men posing as water company workers burglarized the Barnes Road home while they had the homeowners run water from outside faucets.