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Police: Man sought for 'elderly distraction burglaries'

Police in five states are investigating a man for what they call “elderly distraction burglaries.”

Police in Ohio Township have a warrant out for Kenneth Tolliver’s arrest for using stolen credit cards at several Pittsburgh stores.

Police say he poses as a maintenance man, walks into victims’ apartments and, if caught, pretends he is doing maintenance on the apartment.

They say he walked boldly into two unlocked apartments in Masonic Village retirement community in Aleppo Township in early March. Police told Channel 11 one of the victims, a 77-year-old woman actually confronted Tolliver and he told her he was “checking for a water leak.”

He even invited her to "go into the bathroom and look for the leak herself," police said.

“They don't suspect anything until they look around and see things are missing,” said Ohio Twp. Norbert Micklos.

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According to police, after Tolliver left, the woman realized cash was missing. A second resident – who is 87 – told police the same “maintenance man” stole her jewelry, including a treasured wedding ring and her credit cards.

Police told Channel 11 Tolliver is from Washington, D.C., and that he's done jail time for these types of crimes. They believe he travels the Northeast looking for vulnerable victims.

“I think he's very comfortable at what he does,” Micklos said.

Police say Tolliver used those stolen credit cards at stores in the North Hills, including Ross Park Mall and a McKnight Road gas station.

Officials at Masonic Village told Channel 11 nothing like this has happened in the 14 years they’ve been in business.

According to executive director Eric Gross, they took immediate action: “We have enhanced camera coverage on our campus and now have security cameras at every entrance to our residential buildings.”

 

Cox Media Group

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