Hello Neighbors! We’ve received this important safety alert from Sarget Castleberry with the request to pass on to our homeowners. Please be aware of your surroundings while out and about during this holiday season:
Greetings to all,I’m sending this out to all of you because these individuals do not operate within any real boundaries. They have not struck in our area but have in our other patrol districts as well as Texas City, and a variety of other areas over the course of the last 4-5 years. Please forward this information to your respective HOA’S so they can be on the lookout during and after the holiday season. If by chance there is an encounter with these suspects, please get a good description of the male(s) and call the police immediately. Do not fall for the Okie Doke!The suspects are as follows; Two black males with an African accent about 55 to 60 years in age.Their scam is simple. One of them approaches a victim in a parking lot to a business. They will convince that individual to give them a ride to a location. Along the ride, they will have the victim pull over so they can use the restroom. At this time, the second one will approach and meet with the first from the location they stop at. Following this, some type of robbery will occur. They will either convince the victim to withdraw money from a bank account for some type of “once in a lifetime” profit. After withdrawing the money they will rob him. Or they will simply rob the individual in his vehicle after they meet up.In all of the cases involving these two certain features always occur: 1. The first one to approach the victim will always use some type of African sounding accent. 2. The African Sounding individual will always ask for a ride to some location and will always ask to stop and use the restroom at a specific location during the journey. 3. The second male will always approach during this alleged restroom break. 4. The robbery occurs sometime after this and always after a short discussion between the two suspects.Both suspects have been arrested for these crimes in the last few years but have recently been released. I know some people change after having stayed at the Jail Hotel, but I have a feeling these two will be up to their same devious crime scams….Sgt CastleberryPatrol Dist 4