Serial burglars distract older homeowners, rob them in Philly, police say

Police in Philadelphia are urging residents to protect themselves if someone they don't know approaches them at their home.

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This warning comes as officials are investigating a series of recent robberies where a man allegedly approached an older homeowner while a second man robbed the victim's house.

Investigators are aware of four incidents that have happened through March and April, 2025, where the suspects used the same methods, have similar descriptions and targeted homes in the same area.

Suspect 'Joey' wants to remove trees

The first incident happened around 5 p.m. on Friday, March 28 when a man knocked on the door of a home on the 11000 block of Knights Road in Northeast Philadelphia owned by an 80-year-old woman and introduced himself as "Joey," police said.

The man told the woman that he was removing trees from her yard while replacing her neighbor's fence and got her to go outside with him, according to police.

While the woman was with the man outside, a second man allegedly entered her home and took $25,000 in cash and $200,000 worth of jewelry from a bedroom.

The two suspects then fled in a black-colored Ford F-150 that had silver-colored door trim, police said.

"Joey" is described as a man in his fifties who was wearing a white-colored medical mask and gray clothing, according to officials. The other man was described as a man in his 40s and wearing a black-colored hooded sweatshirt.

Man pretends to be from electric company

In a second incident, a man told a 92-year-old homeowner on the 7200 block of Bradford Street in the Rawnhust section of North Philadelphia that he was fixing the neighborhood's electrical system, police said.

Just before 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 10, the homeowner let the man into his home and the two went into the basement, according to officials.

This is when a second suspect went into the home and took $3,500 in case from the bedroom, police said.

Investigators said that a neighbor's doorbell camera showed the two men running from the 92-year-old's home.

One of the suspects was described as a man in his fifties who is 5'7" and was wearing a face mask and dark clothing, police said. The second suspect was seen wearing a dark jacket, light pants, a baseball cap and a face mask.

Checking fence in the backyard

Then, on Monday, April 14, a 79-year-old man was approached by a man around 4:30 p.m. who said he was checking the fence plans for a neighbor on the 3900 block of Fairdale Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia, police said.

The man asked the homeowner to walk with him to the back of his yard, investigators explained. While they were there, a second person went into the house and took a $400 Citizen watch from the bedroom.

Again, one of the suspects was described as a man in his fifties who is 5'8" and weighs 200 pounds, officials said. He was wearing glasses with a dark jacket and pants. The second suspect was not seen by the victim in this case.

Electric worker wants to check system

In the fourth incident, police were called to the 1900 block of Fulmer Street in the Bustleton section of Northeast Philadelphia on Tuesday, April 22 for a report of a burglary, officials said.

When officers got there, the 83-year-old homeowner told them that a man knocked on his door around 4:30 p.m. and told him that he was with the electric company and needed to check the home's system, police explained.

When the homeowner let the man inside, they went into the basement for about half an hour, police said. He told officials that the man left the house abruptly.

It was about an hour later that the man realized that his bedroom was "ransacked," according to police. About $5,000 cash, 9,000 Chinese Yuan and a small locked safe that had jewelry inside was missing.

The homeowner told police that the man spoke Spanish while he took a phone call inside the house.

Tips to protect your home

The Philadelphia Police Department shared some advice to stay safe and are urging all residents to be cautious when you're approached by someone you don't know.

"It's sickening, you know? It's the world we live in today. We can't trust anybody," Northeast Philly resident Marion Meisenzahl said. "Most of the time, I wouldn't open the door. When I do, it's usually the door is locked and the string goes down."

Police say:

• Do not open the door for unknown or unverified individuals.
• Request official identification from anyone claiming to be from a service or utility company.
• Call the company directly to confirm the individual's identity before granting entry.
• Contact 911 immediately if anything feels suspicious or unsafe.

If you have any information on these incidents, please contact the Northeast Detectives at 215-686-3153 or dial 911.