SALEM TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office is reminding the public to check credentials of contractors who arrive on their property without being requested after homeowners in Salem Township were duped by men claiming to work for a tree removal company.
Around 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call from homeowners on the 5800 block of Gotfredson Road after they realized they had been robbed while distracted.
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A man claiming to work with a tree removal company started talking to the homeowners after knocking on their door, according to police.
He said he would be trimming and removing trees around the property.
As a homeowner went around the property with the first suspect, another man approached the home to speak with the other homeowner.
During this time, a third man, described as a black man around 5 feet, 10 inches tall, stole miscellaneous items from the home, according to police.
The first suspect used the name Ernesto and is described as a small man who spoke with a Spanish accent. The second suspect was a white man, around 5 feet, 8 inches tall and used the name Sanchez, said police.
All three men then left the property in a gray pickup truck, possibly a Ford F-150, going in an unknown direction.
Police said that no one was hurt during the home invasion.
“The homeowners believed the interaction was suspicious, but did not realize anything had been stolen until some time later. Deputies were then dispatched to the scene, but the suspects had already fled the area,” reads a release from the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office.
Anyone with information or leads about the incident that could help WCSO should contact Detective Babycz by emailing babyczm@washtenaw.org or Deputy Saydak by emailing saydaks@washtenaw.org.
Calls can also be made to the Sheriff’s Office Central Dispatch Non-Emergency line at 734-994-2911.
Salem Township is around 12 miles northeast of Ann Arbor.
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Posted by Washtenaw Sheriff on Friday, January 15, 2021