Broward Sheriff’s Office detectives are releasing a composite sketch of a man who posed as a utility worker and stole thousands of dollars worth of jewelry from an elderly Tamarac couple in Westwood 3 on September 13.
The grand theft occurred at approximately 11:15 a.m. September 13 in the 7400 block of Northwest 94 Avenue in Tamarac. The unidentified suspect knocked on the door and told 91-year-old Mildred Saltzman that he was there to test her water by spraying a substance in her toilets and sinks. Mildred and her husband Abraham Saltzman, 96, told BSO detectives they believed the man because City of Tamarac employees were working in the area about one week prior to the incident.
After gaining the couple’s trust, Abraham and the suspect went to the guest bathroom. As Abraham reached to turn on the sink, the suspect sprayed a liquid on Abraham’s arm and told him it was acid. The three of them then went to the master bathroom, where the crook distracted the couple by telling Mildred to stay with her husband while he went to get some treatment cream from his vehicle. Instead of returning, the crook fled the scene with a box full of jewelry worth thousands of dollars.
The suspect was wearing a yellow hard hat, a traffic-style reflective vest (possibly orange with yellow fluorescent striping) and light-colored pants. He is described as a white male, about six feet tall, approximately 180 pounds, between 20 and 25 years old, with light-colored hair and possibly blue eyes. The victims said he spoke with an unknown accent.
Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact BSO Det. Stacie Nelson at (954) 720-2225 or contact Broward Crime Stoppers, anonymously, at (954) 493-TIPS (8477).
When in doubt, call 911 and let a deputy verify their identity.
Call the Tamarac Crime Prevention Unit at (954) 720-2225 for more tips and information on protecting yourself.