Police investigating distraction burglary in Slingerlands

SLINGERLANDS — The Bethlehem Police Department is investigating a distraction burglary that took place on Blessing Road in Slingerlands earlier this month.

The burglary occurred at roughly 12:45 p.m. on Nov. 1, when a white male suspect in his 40s, who has not been identified, knocked on a homeowner’s door and said he needed to “inspect some lines” at the back of the house.

“The homeowner and suspect went to the rear of the residence, while the suspect communicated with another, unknown person over a two-way radio,” according to the police statement. “When the resident returned to the front of the house, they determined that the second unknown suspect had entered their residence and stolen U.S. currency from inside the house.”

Police are seeking a suspect described as a white male in his 40s wearing a light-colored T-shirt, vest, gloves and a baseball-style hat. There is no available description for the second suspect, who was not seen by the homeowner.

The suspect who had spoken with the homeowner “fled the scene north on Blessing Road towards Krumkill Road in a white four-door sedan,” according to the statement. The vehicle had a missing front license plate.

Bethlehem police are working with several other law enforcement agencies in the area. The Slingerlands incident may be related to a recent pattern of similar distraction burglaries that have taken place in the region, according to police.

Police offer the following tips to avoid falling prey to a distraction burglary:

• Always be skeptical of any repair of maintenance person who comes to your residence unannounced.

• Always ask for identification as soon as the person arrives.

• Take the time to confirm the person’s affiliation with the company that they purport to be from.

• Never leave the person alone while they are on your property.

• Take photographs of the person and their vehicle.

• Do not leave your residence unsecured while doing yard work, and always ensure you can see any open access points to your residence.

Legitimate service workers or municipal employees wear some type of uniform, drive marked vehicles and will always display identification when asked, according to Bethlehem police.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Bethlehem Police at 518-439-9973. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Capital Region Crime Stoppers at www.capitalregioncrimestoppers.com.