Police Release New Sketch in Deception Burglaries

Police are still searching for the suspects responsible for several burglaries in Nassau County including one in Wantagh, in which schemes were used to trick senior citizens.

On Wednesday, Nassau County Police released a second composite sketch (pictured above), this one depicting a Hispanic woman, between 45 and 50 years old, with stocky build, medium complexion, dark hair and dark eyes. She's seen in the drawing wearing eyeglasses.

A sketch of another Hispanic woman also suspected in the deception burglaries was released in late December. She's decribed as 30 years old, 5'6," medium build with a light to medium complexion and blue eyes. One of the eyes appears to be "bulging or wandering," according to police. 

These women are believed to be responsible for a series of burglaries that have occurred in Wantagh, Merrick, Massapequa Park, Malverne, West Hempstead and Jericho between December 2011 and January 2012. The burglary in Wantagh occurred on Dec. 9 when at 4 p.m. that day  two white males went to the Jerusalem Avenue home of an 88-year-old man and said they were fence workers who needed to get into the home owner's yard. Nothing was taken from the home.

"They're vile, despicable scam artists," Lt. Kevin Smith, of the Nassau County Police said at ."They talk their way into people's homes and then talk their way out the back door and they seem like nice people. They're anything but."

There, he explained how the women ring the front door of a senior citizen's home, sometimes identifying themselves as contractors performing work in the neighborhood, and lure the resident outside, to the rear of the house. While the homeowner is distracted, another individual goes inside the front entrance of the house and steals the resident's valuables.

In several incidents these subjects are working with unknown white or Hispanic males, and in some cases, they have used a walkie talkie to signal the men to enter the homes once the owner is distracted. Their vehicles have included a red sedan (pictured above) and a dark minivan, both with Florida license plates, and an older blue/gray sedan.

Crime Stoppers ask anyone who has any information on the identity of these subjects, or has information about these cases to call their toll free hotline: 1-800-244-TIPS (8477). They are offering a reward of up to $5,000 and all callers can remain anonymous.