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Diversion burglars con late 80s Saddle Brook woman

YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: Saddle Brook police were at the scene of a diversion burglary this afternoon in which a homeowner in her late 80s was conned by a man pretending to work for the gas company who then let two accomplices into her house.

Photo Credit: Cliffview Pilot File Photo

The victim told police the Hispanic visitor showed up at her Floral Lane home off Midland Avenue around 2 p.m. and “tricked her into believing there was a natural gas leak in the area and her home had to be checked,” Police Chief Robert Kugler told CLIFFVIEW PILOT this afternoon.

He wore dark clothing and “displayed some type of identification card inside a clear plastic ID holder,” the chief said. “He said he was from PSE&G and needed to check the home due to a gas leak down the block.”

After she let him in, the woman said, he let two other men into her house.

It had yet to be determined what, if anything, had been taken, Kugler said.

His officers and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Bureau of Criminal Identification were searching for evidence and getting descriptions from the homeowner.

If you live or were in the area and have any information that could help the investigation, please call Saddle Brook police: (201) 843-7000

Meanwhile, Deputy Police Chief Rober White reminded citizens to “never let a stranger enter your home unless you have verified their identity.”

That means calling the particular utility or company they say they work for — or calling your local police.

Neither minds the call, and legitimate workers will wait patiently. Those trying to scam you will take off.

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