Jewelry thieves targeting older people of Asian descent in Rochester
May 18—A group of jewelry thieves appear to be targeting older people of Asian descent after Rochester police received at least three reports of a similar theft scheme.
Two such incidents occurred on May 11 and a third occurred on May 14.
A 69-year-old man of Asian descent had approximately $11,000 worth of jewelry stolen off his body while in front of his home in the 2000 block of Ninth Avenue Southeast. The man reported he was mowing his lawn around 5:50 p.m. on May 11 when a vehicle pulled up and the occupants waved him over, according to Rochester Police Capt. Casey Moilanen. The man approached the car, believing he recognized one of the people as someone he used to work with.
A woman inside the car told the man she "liked him like a father" and wanted to give him a necklace and other jewelry. The woman put the items on the man and unbeknownst to him, stole his jewelry in the process. The man did not realize the theft had occurred until he showed his wife the jewelry he was given.
That same day, another person reported around 6 p.m. the was out for a walk in the 5000 block of 25th Avenue Northwest when a light silver Chrysler Pacifica minivan pulled up next to him. The occupants of the vehicle, a man and woman and a child, gave him some jewelry. Just like the first incident, the man's own jewelry was stolen in the process.
On May 14, police received a report from a 65-year-old woman of Asian descent that she had about $1,500 worth of jewelry taken from her in the Home Depot parking lot. The woman said she was approached by a man who said something to her that she did not understand and then put a necklace and bracelet on her. After the man left, she noticed the jewelry she was wearing was gone. She described the man's vehicle as a gray vehicle with possible two or three children in it.
Police caution that if you are approached by someone attempting to put jewelry on your body, they are more than likely trying to remove and steal the jewelry you are already wearing.
This is not the first time the city has experienced a series of jewelry thefts like this. In July 2020, at least three similar incidents were reported to police.
