Residents in southwest Bakersfield are buzzing about a string of burglaries and thieves who are targeting the area. Neighbors say two people are going around claiming to be selling cleaning products, but what they really want to do is burglarize your home.
17 News spoke with one man Friday who says a woman tried to enter his home in the hopes of selling him cleaning products, but he refused to let her in. Many residents in the area have a similar story, and are warning others to be on the look out.
"And she wanted to come in the house. I said no you can't come in, my wife's not here, and she said oh its okay, I can walk in right with you, and I can show you what i'm selling," said Angel Carranza, southwest Bakersfield.
Carranza says he was able to avoid having his home burglarized, but he knows the woman and a man she was with, were up to no good. A neighbor e-mailed our newsroom telling us that several residents had come in contact with these two people.
According to several e-mails, either the man or the woman say they're selling cleaning products, and try to come inside. One woman e-mailed us saying the man came to her door on Wednesday, but she told him to leave because she wasn't interested.
Then on Thursday she came home to discover someone had tried to break in. He wasn't successful, but went next door and stole jewelry and a digital camera.
Carranza says she didn't give up after he told her to leave. "Well she tried to knock on the door, and I looked through the view finder and saw it was the same girl and I didn't open the door. I didn't bother opening the door. I'm pretty sure she was trying to get in the house."
Carranza says the man she was with did not stand at the door with her, but instead waited around the corner. The thieves are both described as African American in their mid twenties. Neighbors say the man is 6'2 and 150-160 pounds, but didn't have any further description of the woman.
Bakersfield Police are investigating. If you have any information, call 327-7111.
