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Home-Invasion Robbers Pose As Delivery Men In Midway City

MIDWAY CITY (CBSLA.com) — Authorities are warning the public about thieves who have been posing as delivery men and robbing homes in the Midway City area.

Two men dressed as delivery men burst into the Midway City home of a man in his 70s around 6 p.m. Wednesday, Orange County Sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino said.

One of the men was wearing a U.S. postal carrier uniform when he knocked on the homeowner's door.

When the victim did not recognize the name on the package the robber was holding, he immediately attempted to shut the door, but the robber was able to force it back open and slam a gun over the man's head, Amormino said.

A second robber then stepped forward and helped tie up the homeowner, pulling the man's shirt over his head before ransacking the home for about 15 minutes, Amormino said.

The robbers got away with some jewelry, including a watch, as well as other valuables, Amormino said. After they left, the victim dragged himself across the floor toward the front door and shouted for help. He was finally freed when his son came to the house and found him, Amormino said.

The suspects in Wednesday's attack were described as Asian. The gunman is roughly 5 feet 5 inches tall with a thin build; the other suspect is roughly 5 feet 9 inches tall and about 40 years old.

A woman was attacked in a similar home-invasion on July 8. In that attack, the men used a delivery of balloons and a small package to get the victim to open the door, Amormino said.

When the suspects got into the house, the gunman forced the woman to sit on her couch at gunpoint while he and his accomplice ransacked the house, Amormino said. A floor safe was taken from that home.

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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