Beware of Would-Be Burglars Posing as Utility Workers

On Tuesday of last week around 11:30 in the morning, a Burlingame resident on the 2200 block of Poppy Drive reported to police a suspicious man, potentially pretending to be a PG&E employee.

According to police, the man said he was there to check corrosion on her gas meter.

When the homeowner asked the man for identification, he showed her an old PG&E document about gas pipeline upgrades, police said.

The suspect, described as being about 5 feet 9 inches tall, 175 pounds with short, light brown hair and blue or hazel eyes, was last seen getting into a late-model black Chrysler 300 with dark tinted windows. He was wearing a white hard hat with an orange stripe and no identification on it, according to police.

Police officials said it is not uncommon for thieves to pose as utility workers to gain access to homes. They ask residents to help them check the problem or perform a task while an accomplice or other person  also posing as a utility worker steals jewelry or cash.

Burlingame police suggest never allowing strangers into your home, and always asking utility workers for identification - or, call PG&E to confirm the worker should be there.

--Bay City News contributed to this report.

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