Fake Utility Employees
Assaulting Homes
Costa Rican authorities
are warning residents to
be wary of fake utility
employees whose purpose
is to gain your trust
and to rob you and the
contents of your home.
At least four homes have
been reported hit by a
group of thieves dressed
similar to employees of
the Instituto
Costarricense de
Electricidad (ICE), the
Acueductos y
Alcantarillados (AyA)
and the Compañía
Nacional de Fuerza Luz (CNFL)
and using vehicles
similar to that used by
the utilities.
The Organismo de
Investigación Judicial (OIJ)
reveals that during
2007, 3.384 homes in the
country were hit by
thieves and in more than
half the cases violence
was used. In one case,
the assault on the home
of former Partido Unidad
Social Cristiana (PUSC)
presidential candidate,
Ricardo Toledo, two
people were left dead by
the assailants - the
maid working the Toledo
home and a neighbour
across the street who
was witness.
For the "new year",
assailants have come up
with a "new way" of
assaulting homes as more
and more residents,
fearing being assaulted,
are vigilant and have
installed security
devices to alert an
armed security response.
The director of the OIJ,
Jorge Rojas, said that
in this type of assault
more than just robbery
can occur as delinquents
more often than not
respond with violence.
Rojas explained that
during the 14 days of
this month the method
was used on at least
four occasions by a
group made up of five
individuals, hitting
homes in Rohrmoser,
Escazú and Tibás and in
total 49 homes have had
uninvited guests show up
at their door.
Officials of ICE, the
AyA and CNFL say that
their employees are
fully identified and
their vehicles fully
marked.
In the case of ICE and
the CNFL a call to "115"
can verify the identity
of the person claiming
to be an employee of the
utility. |
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