Gypsies, tramps and thieves

The Rom are on the prowl in West Covina, targeting the elderly and stealing what ever they can. 

"There is an organization behind this, a tribe of transients, and they go city to city doing their deeds," Lopez said. "We are concerned they are targeting people who are least suspecting it."

Juan Fuentes, 71, was home alone Wednesday around 10:30 a.m. when he heard the doorbell ring. At his doorstep was a woman in her 20s, who told Fuentes she was there to fix a broken wall in his backyard.

Fuentes, who rents the home on the 100 block of South Fircroft Street with his family, left the front door unlocked and was led by the woman to the furthest end of his backyard.

"She told him that they would fix the crack on the walls, and that they would cut down the trees," said Laura Magallanes, Fuentes' daughter. "That's when he knew something was strange."

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Police said they believe the suspects are Long Beach residents Eric Bimbo, 20, and Amy Adams, 20.

The story is similar to five other instances in West Covina, Lopez said, although typically there have been two men and one woman.

There have also been similar incidents reported to the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

On Oct. 20, the suspects robbed a home in the 200 block of North Vincent Avenue. On Oct. 25 they targeted a home at 3:30 p.m. in the 1200 block of South Meeker Avenue, and then a half-hour later a home was targeted in the 900 block of South Orange Street.