By: Fabian Ledgister, Staff Reporter

Instead of breaking into houses, some local thieves are now knocking on your front door.

After receiving five similar cases of larceny by trick in recent times, police are now concerned about this new method of robbery. They say thieves are now using trickery to deceive young occupants left alone at home, to willingly let them in and remove items from the house.

"We are seeing a new method of larceny, where instead of breaking in to homes when occupants are away, they wait till a young person is alone and trick them into letting them take things away," said Detective Sergeant Radcliff Levy, the sub-officer in charge of crime at the Half-Way Tree Police Station.

"We have received about five reports of a similar nature, and have so far arrested one man," added Levy.

According to reports, Andrew Phillip Daley, 27, tricked a home-owner's daughter into believing he was a friend of her mother, and stole goods amounting to over $25,000.

Mom's acquaintant

It is alleged that on July 22 a fairly well-dressed man knocked on the door of a premises in the Molynes Road area. The home-owner's 13-year-old daughter answered, and Daley allegedly tricked her into believing her mother had sent him to pick up some items from the house.

Police say, the man then removed a Sharp 19 inch colour television valued at $15,000, a cellular phone valued at $2,200, and two gold rings valued at $8,000.

But quick police response is reported to have wrought the capture of Daley, who was spotted along Sundown Crescent, riding a bicycle with the television in hand. He was identified and subsequently arrested and charged with larceny by trick. He was put before the courts and fined $20,000 or six months in jail.

In another report, which occurred on May 30, an 18-year-old complainant was at his home in the Kingston 10 area, when a man knocked on his door. The man claimed to be sent by the youth's sister-in-law, to take the television. The teenager believed the man, and allowed him to remove the item from the house.

When the boy's mother returned and was told of the incident, she made checks and after discovering she had been robbed, made a report to the police. A search of the area was conducted, but the man was not found.

"We also have three unofficial reports of similar cases, and they are currently being investigated," said Levy.

With multiple instances of this form of larceny by trick, police are warning the public, and especially single mothers to guide their children to be on the alert for these cunning robbers.

"Police are warning the public, to sensitise their younger home occupants especially, not to let strangers into the home, no matter their story...if someone comes to make repairs or check metres, let them present valid identification. If you're unsure, call the police," Detective Levy said.