Man impersonating public utility worker tries to enter woman's home

Police are warning people to be on alert for a man impersonating a Tacoma Public Utilities worker after he allegedly tried to get into a woman’s house by claiming he was there to fix a water pressure problem.

The man was wearing a bright workman’s vest and driving a white station wagon. People in this neighborhood don’t usually mind a friendly knock on the door

Resident Bill Hickey said, “For the most part, everyone that’s come to the door has been bona fide and welcome.”

But some residents said this week they’ve seen a suspicious man lurking around

“I saw a man walking across the street who just looked out of place,” said resident Jim Hogan. “He had a vest and hard hat and all this equipment on; he had too much on for being a nice day.”



Tacoma Public Utilities spokeswoman Nora Doyle said, “A customer called us and said a man purporting to be a Tacoma Public Utilities employee was knocking at her door and he said, ‘Hi, we’re doing work in the area, we understand there’s low pressure, and I need to come inside and check it out.’ ”

Doyle said the man doesn’t work for the city, and there were no crews in this area.

“You wonder what this person was up to, what he was trying to accomplish,” Hickey said. “That would be my first question, and the main concern.”

It`s a question that likely won`t be answered; the woman didn`t file a police report, which means there`s not going to be an investigation. But people living in the area are being more cautious about strangers in their neighborhoods.

“Trust your instincts, always ask for the badge,” Doyle said. “You don’t have to let anybody into your home; if you don’t want to, then don’t.”

--Kate Burgess, Q13 FOX News reporter