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By Jay King
HOMETOWN NEWS
The seasonal arrival of itinerant confidence men may have begun with the strong-arm burglary of an elderly man in Lyman, and area law enforcement agencies are warning residents to be more vigilant.
The Lyman incident happened May 14 around 7:30 p.m. at a residence on Maple Street. According to the incident report, the victim reported that a white male came to his door and offered to pressure wash his house for a discounted price of $100. The victim said the subject told him that he would do the job for that amount provided the victim did not tell anyone about the deal and allowed the subject to put a sign in his yard.
The victim said that there was another white male with the subject and that the two men began washing the front of the house with the victim’s garden hose. The victim then went inside to get the $100, and the older suspect followed him into the house.
The victim retrieved a wooden box where he kept his cash, but since the suspect would not leave, the victim put the box down on the bed, unopened. At this point the other suspect got the victim to come to the porch, and this is when the victim suspects the first man took the wooden box.
The victim told officers that the two men were in a white Ford pickup with a pressure washer in the back. The younger man had short brown hair and was maybe in his 20s, while the older suspect had short, kinky blonde hair and was between 30 and 40 years old.
The victim went back into the house to get one of the suspects a drink of water when the two men sped away from the home in their vehicle.
Area law enforcement officials say this crime is of a type that occurs across the area at this time of year. Such cases are usually ascribed to “Gypsies” who come into an area and work variations on several confidence games before moving on. They traditionally target older residents, particularly those living alone.
Inman Police Chief Glenn Henderson said that it was the right time of year but that his agency has not had any reports of similar crimes. But, he said, there’s always a first case and urged area residents to be on their guard.
Henderson said the typical scams involve offering cut rates on paving, pressure washing or other household repair projects.
“People need to make sure they’re dealing with a reputable company,” Henderson said. “Don’t let them in your house.”
Capt. Neil Urch, head of uniform patrol with the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, said so far there have been no reports of similar crimes around the county.
“It would not be out of the scope of things if this were happening,” Urch said. “There are several scams that they use.”
Capt. Carl Long with the Duncan Police Department also reported that his agency has not seen any cases but that he will have his officers step up their patrols and to be on the watch for suspicious activity.
Long said his department usually checks people doing work within the town to make sure they have the proper business license.
If anyone suspects such activity in their neighborhood, they are encouraged to call their local municipal police department or the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office.
jking@hometown-news.com
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