Suffolk County Woman, 83, Describes Being Victim Of Distraction Burglary
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A feisty great-grandmother says heartless scammers stole her dignity, a precious collection of jewelry and her sense of security.
And she's not alone.
The thieves are preying on kindness and targeting the vulnerable throughout the area, CBS2's Jennifer McLogan reported.
"I took shrimp out of the freezer and I put them in the frying pan, and there was this gentle knock at the door," Angela Treamer, 83, of East Farmingdale, described.
Treamer has health issues and uses a walker. She's angry about being taken advantage of.
"There was this big guy," Treamer said. "He looked like the genie from 'Aladdin.'"
Treamer thought he was her new neighbor. The man said he lived next door and wanted to talk to her in the backyard about trimming her trees.
So she left the defrosted shrimp and headed out back.
"It's hard for me to walk," she said. "And I started yelling: 'Where are you? Where are you?' But what he was doing was getting his accomplice."
Treamer then had a delightful conversation with her.
"She said, 'Oh, you look like my grandmother,'" Treamer said. "She took my hand, and she kissed my hand."
Distracted by the sweet-talking, Treamer was unaware the male thief was inside going room to room, ransacking her heavy jewelry chest filled with gold rings, necklaces and cherished keepsakes.
"She had me charmed, and I said, 'I have something on the stove. I have to take it off the stove or it'll burn,'" Treamer said. "She yelled, 'I'll do it!' And that's when I came in the house, and I saw him run out, and he took a whole lifetime of gold -- my mother's wedding ring. Heartbreaking.
"I wanted to pass these things down, not only to my granchildren (but) my great-grandchildren," she told WCBS 880's Sophia Hall.
Treamer said she fears her stolen gold pieces will be melted down or sold on the Internet.
Police confirm the traveling duo may be responsible for similar crimes reported across Suffolk County in October, passing themselves off as caring neighbors there to hep with tree trimming or home repairs. Similar incidents have been reported in West Islip, Brentwood, Islip Terrace and Smithtown.
"The money didn't matter to me. If you wanted money, I would have given you money," Treamer said. "But don't take my memories."
"I don't want it to happen to another older person, because we're vulnerable," she said.
Police are asking for the public's help in tracking down the suspects.