Thieves, Con Artists Preying on Elderly Women

VAN NUYS —  A group of as many as 10 thieves and con artists, made up mostly of women, is targeting elderly women in the Van Nuys-Sherman Oaks area, police said Thursday.

The group is believed responsible for about 20 crimes since January, said Det. Al Aldaz of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Van Nuys Division.

The grifters speak Spanish or English, depending on their victim, Aldaz said, and one of them appears to be pregnant.

In one case, two thieves struck up a conversation Monday with a 77-year-old woman who was leaving a supermarket near Van Nuys and Oxnard boulevards before proceeding to con her out of her life savings.

The ruse began when the women told their victim they needed $10,000 as collateral to turn in a winning Fantasy Five lottery ticket, Aldaz said.

After driving her around and buying her a soda, the thieves drugged the woman and threatened harm to her family members if she did not comply with their demands to withdraw money and turn it over to them, Aldaz said.

Aldaz would not say how much money was stolen.

The thieves were described as three Latinas, ages 17 to 24, who are believed to be part of the larger group.

Most of the crimes have taken place during daylight hours in an area bordered by Ventura Boulevard, Oxnard Street, Van Nuys Boulevard and Woodman Avenue.

Detectives said the group is also responsible for purse snatching and pickpocketing in the area. In one such case, a thief approached an elderly woman in a store parking lot and told her there was something wrong with the back of her car.

When the driver went to check, an accomplice stole a credit card from her wallet. It later was used to buy $3,000 worth of computer equipment at a Fry’s Electronics store in Burbank.

LAPD detectives said they want to remind older residents to be aware of their surroundings and be wary of casual encounters with strangers, Aldaz said.

“We want to put an end to it before it gets out of control,” Aldaz said.