Man Posing As Maintenance Worker Distracts Woman As Accomplice Burglarizes Her North Hollywood Home

NORTH HOLLYWOOD (CBSLA.com) — A man posing as a maintenance worker distracted a senior while his accomplice burglarized her North Hollywood home. Now, police are trying to determine whether this was related to a similar burglary two miles away.

The quick-thinking victim took a picture of one of the men, who went into her North Hollywood house on Bonner Avenue on Sept 13.

The victim's daughter, who did not want to reveal her name, said one of the thieves told her mother he was an electrician.

"Unbelievable. They just trick her," she said. "She followed him in the back, and the other guy run inside the house."

Once suspicious, the woman chased them out of her house and took a picture of the getaway car. But police said the intruders still managed to steal thousands in jewelry and money.

The victim's daughter said they recognized the getaway car. It had been in the area for about a week possibly watching her family.

"Of course I feel scared, but thank God they didn't hurt her," said

A couple miles away on 14th Place, police said the same thing happened to an elderly man the next day.

The suspected thief matching the same description said he was a water maintenance worker. While the victim was distracted, his accomplice burglarized his home.

Gamaliel Rios, who lives down the street from one of the victims, was clearing the view of his security cameras in case he becomes a victim.

"I told my kids all the time when somebody come to knock on the door, nobody are allowed to come to check in the window, to open the door because we never know what's going on," Rios said.