Philadelphia police are warning Northeast residents to be wary of a bogus U.S. Mail carrier who invaded the home of an elderly Bustleton woman at gunpoint on Tuesday.
At about 9:45 a.m., the suspect knocked on the door of a home on the 1800 block of Nester Place wearing a safari hat and post office-style uniform. He advised the resident that he had a registered letter for her to sign.
When she opened the door, he forced his way inside, poked a gun into her abdomen and demanded her valuables, said Capt. Joseph Zaffino of the 7th district. The victim, who is about 70 years old, led the suspect to a bedroom and surrendered an undetermined amount of cash and jewelry.
The victim, who was home alone, was not injured. She called 911, but did not see if the suspect used a getaway vehicle. She described him as Hispanic, 25 to 30 years old, about 5 feet 6 inches tall and with a medium build. He was clean-shaven. He wore a light blue shirt and dark blue shorts but did not carry a mailbag.
Zaffino warned residents not to allow strangers, even those in uniform, access to their homes.
“Unless you’re sure it’s your mailman or your mailman’s replacement, do not open that door,” the captain said. Instead, he said, call 911.
Police are unaware of any other similar incidents involving mail carrier impersonators. But in the past, crooks have tried to impersonate various utility employees to access victims’ homes.
Anyone with information about Tuesday’s robbery is asked to call Northeast Detectives at 215–686–3153. ••
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Two men forced their way into a Brookhaven home, fired a gunshot and robbed a woman of dozens of prescription pills last Thursday, police said.
No injuries were reported as a result of the home invasion, according to Officer Jillian Russell, a Philadelphia police spokeswoman, but authorities are still looking for the robbers.
The incident occurred on the 8800 block of Frankford Ave. at 2:15 p.m. The 28-year-old victim had just returned home from a neighborhood pharmacy when two unidentified men forced their way into the home.
The invaders took 84 oxycodone pills and fled in a blue Pontiac Grand Am, Russell said. No further descriptions were available.
Call Northeast Detectives at 215–686–3153 to report information about the case. ••
