SCAM ALERT!!!
We are now aware of 20 Victoria Park residents victimized by "Hellen" in the northeast area of the neighborhood. "Hellen" (tall, slender with long dark straight hair, late 20's) walks a tan-colored pit bull called "Zeus"; usually around 2:00 AM. She looks for neighbors who appear to be vulnerable. One victim had been saying goodnight to guests after her husband's birthday party when she was approached. The female told the victim that her husband was away so she had to take the dog for a walk and had accidentally locked herself out. She claimed to be in need of $75.00 to pay a locksmith to come and let her in. The neighbor lent her the money and has never seen her again. Another victim was observed as she was working on her computer near a window; the female knocked on the door and went inside the home. Letting a stranger into your home is a very dangerous thing to do. To top things off she actually drove the young woman and dog to her ATM and withdrew $100.00. It is nice that we want to assist a neighbor with a problem; however, this is a scam artist. Thank goodness no one has been hurt yet. Please keep your eyes open and your money in your pocket or bank. Please tell your neighbors to be aware of this situation.
As far as we know, "Hellen" and her live-in boyfriend "Gregg" reside at 908 - Rear NE 17th Avenue. He drives a GMC6000 towtruck with Florida wrecker license E2873C. Police have been notified. If you have any information, please contact Fort Lauderdale Police @ 911, and then notify Pat Mayers or Ted Fling
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BOLO: Be On the Look Out
There is another situation that is occurring. People are
coming onto private property and taking personal belongings. One of my neighbors had two 150 lb. urns taken from her front entrance, at the same time as her next door neighbor had a child's bike removed from the back yard. The very same day I had placed a white wicker table on my carport, up by the door. I wanted to paint it and there was a threat of rain. I had to leave and go to my mothers; upon my return the table was gone. So please beware and keep your eyes open, for your neighbors also, for people that do not belong. The key is if they look like they do not belong they probably don?t. Call the police 954-928-5700 ext. 6 and make a suspicious incident report, give them the best description
possible.
Also, the following email thread has been working its way through the neighborhood.
Hello Friends and Neighbors -
I know many of you are out and about here in the hood and I am asking for a personal favor. The two large pots/planters/urns in front of my house at the entrance of the driveway were stolen recently while I was out of town. Best I can determine, it must have been Sunday, April 15th. Nothing else seems to have been bothered. The dirt and plants were dumped out right onto the sidewalk. These were made of concrete, large, and heavy. So far, the neighbors that I have spoken to with dogs did not even notice anything was even missing. they even took the bricks I had in the bottom for weight and filler.
My feeling is that someone has been by my house before (maybe often) and has noticed these. They are very unusual. I suspect they noticed my truck in the driveway and little activity for a couple of days and decided to make their move in the night. Sure it is not wise to have anything near the street of value, but I was trying to make it look nice. I suspect it was someone who either lives or works in VP.
Also while talking with neighbors, I found that in the recent past onehad their solar landscaping lights all stolen, another had a vehicle egged and writing on it as well. I am sure I will find more stories as I knock on doors.
Please keep an eye out for these. They may even end up on the terrace of a townhouse or out back by someone's pool. But they are unusual, so I thought I'd ask you all to keep them and me in mind if you should seen anything like them. There is a reward for their safe return to
1620 NE 5th Ct.
Thanks! - jd
Hi JD,
I am sorry to hear of this theft. Let's add it to the list. My car was egged about a year ago and my neighbors rare bromeliad (also in a pot, but tucked securely into surrounding vegetation) was also stolen very early in the morning on a weekend. It is possible that the thefts are from some one who knows plants, perhaps a landscaper whose truck would not raise any eyebrows when parked in front of a house.
We all have to be the eyes and ears for our neighborhoods with so many transient workers around (I know it is possible, but would be very disappointed to know it might actually be a neighbor). Good luck with their return.
Christine
Well, I was feeling bad for JD and wandered around my backyard. I then noticed that two of my decorative pots were missing. One of them was a large pottery pot with orchids in it. The orchids were dumped on the ground. The other was a beautiful large pot that Fred painted and signed on the bottom (Fred Sistarenik - 1977). It was a Chinese motif of dragons in blue on a white background. Because it is signed, it is easily identified.
I called the police and reported it. Dammit I loved Fred's pot. I suspect it will show up in a flea market very far from here.
However, I will not let these thieves stop me from making the outside of my house attractive. I will try to make it more difficult. By the way, they didn't take a pot that I painted. Should I feel slighted?
Art
(No Art, you shouldn't feel slighted because of a thief's lack of taste -- ed.)
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JD and Christine,
I am sorry to hear about those things happening to you. JD, those pots were beautiful and provided a "signature" entrance to your home.
I want to add another thing to watch out for--a very creepy "scam artist" cruising the neighborhood on a bicycle. He is saying he works for the City and has free gravel to give away to folks who have gravel in their swale, or, as in my case, next to the swale where the driveway begins. He says he needs $20 if you want it spread, because he has to buy some spray stuff at Home Depot to keep the gravel in place.
He has a horrific looking tattoo of the word MOM that looks like it was cut into his neck, and wears a cowboy hat. He says is name is Ronnie Babcock and that his late father owned Babcock Funeral Homes. I've been telling my elderly neighbors, lest they get taken in. He says he lives in an apartment in the 'hood.
And are any of you interested in some land in the Everglades? :)
Jan
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DO NOT LET THEM IN