Phony utility worker burglarizes Pasadena home

PASADENA -- Police and city officials are encouraging the public to be extra careful after an elderly woman had her home burglarized by a man claiming to work for the Pasadena Department of Water and Power.
The crime occurred about 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 30 at a home in the 500 block of Tamarac Drive, Pasadena police spokeswoman Janet Pope Givens said.
The burglar told the woman he was from PWP and needed to come inside to check her water pressure, police said in a written statement.
After the woman escorted the man to several places inside the home where he pretended to check the water pressure, she watched him get into a "pinkish beige" 4-door compact car with a waiting driver, police said. The car was last seen driving northbound.
The woman then discovered her bedroom had been ransacked, and cash and jewelry had been stolen, Pope-Givens said.
Officials advise the public to never let anyone inside their home unless they know who it is, and when in doubt, call the police.
Residents can also call PWP to verify that people claiming to be PWP employees are legitimate.
PWP employees wear visible photo ID with the city seal on it, police said, and they never use personal vehicles for business.
Anyone with information on the burglary is asked to call Pasadena police detective bureau at (626) 744-4522.