Thieves lure victim away from their target

A recent robbery in the Bon Air area should serve as a lesson in being suspicious of anyone who shows up at your home, uninvited, claiming to be an official wanting to check on something such as your utilities.

On July 13 at about 2 p.m., a woman answered the doorbell of her home in the 2500 block of Jimmy Winters Road. The bell ringer said she was a survey company employee who needed to see the victim's home's electrical panel. The suspect walked toward the rear of the house, ignoring the homeowner's request to see her identification. The victim pursued the suspect, leaving the front door open and the home vulnerable.

As the victim returned to the front of her home, she saw a second suspect running toward a car parked in front of the house. The car sped away, and the suspects with it.

Inside the home, the victim found that the thieves had stolen some of her jewelry.

The suspects are described as a white woman and a white man, both in their midthirties.

Anyone with information about this crime should call police at 748-1251 or Crime Solvers at 748-0660, or text the code tip699 with the tip and send to 274637 (CRIMES). Tipsters may also visit www.crimesolvers.net to report information anonymously online. In other crimes:

Cambourne Road. Between 12:30 p.m. on July 4 and 8:30 p.m. on July 8, someone broke into an exterior shed at St. David's Episcopal Church in the 1800 block and stole property.

Cougar Trail. Between 1 p.m. on July 9 and 7:45 a.m. on July 13, someone stole items from a school bus and an activity bus parked in the 3800 block at Carver Middle School.

Goolsby Avenue. Between 5 p.m. on July 7 and 8 a.m. on July 8, someone broke into the maintenance shop in the 2700 block at the Heritage Court Apartments and stole electronics and other property.

Lake Harbor Drive. Between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on July 11, someone stole the catalytic converter from a 1996 Toyota 4Runner parked in the 6600 block.

Melville Drive. Between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on July 14, someone broke into a home in the 6800 block by removing an air conditioner from a window and stole guns, consumable goods and other property.

Midlothian Turnpike. Between 9:45 a.m. and 6:15 p.m. on July 8, someone stole the catalytic converter from a 1993 Toyota 4Runner parked in the 11500 block at Chesterfield Towne Center.

River Road. Between noon on July 3 and 7 p.m. on July 8, someone stole an oil tank and an air conditioning unit from outside a vacant residence in the 9400 block. Consumable and household goods, electronics and other property were missing from inside the house.