RE: [Highland Park] Tony- car towing scam
Dear Highland Park Neighbors, I have been away in training for the past three weeks, and only returned last week to see the flurry of emails regarding "Tony." I have sent the emails to a team of three plainclothes detectives with the basic descriptions, locations and times of occurrences. The officers will canvass the area in an attempt to locate "Tony." In the interim, PLEASE do not give him any money. I would also caution residents regarding opening their doors to a complete stranger late at night. When calling 911 give the operator a detailed description...clothing and direction of travel. I know it seems like it can take forever for an officer to arrive, but they will get there as dispatched. Also, let the 911 operator know if you would like to talk to the police officer. Many of you write that an officer just drove past the scene, and did not get out of the car, but it is very difficult to do more than that, if there is no one to confer with upon arrival. Hope that helps. RaShall M. Brackney, Commander Zone Five Station Penn Circle West and Ansley Pittsburgh, Pa. 15206 (412) 665-3605 -----Original Message----- From: neighborhood-bounces@highlandpark.pgh.pa.us [mailto:neighborhood-bounces@highlandpark.pgh.pa.us] On Behalf Of Shelly Danko+Day Sent: Monday, August 08, 2005 8:30 AM To: john ciroli; matt wrbican; Sweeney, Dan; Bodack, Len Cc: neighborhood@highlandpark.pgh.pa.us; Sherry Goldman; David Burns Subject: Re: [Highland Park] Tony- car towing scam Dear john and everyone: The cops won't just find him to make us stop calling. They have a HUGE area to cover, and the way our system is set up, they have no way of knowing what bad is happening unless we call 911...that is why we encourage people to report everything to 911...drug deals, prostitution, excessive noise from cars, etc. so they know where the activity is. They need our help to fight crime...they no longer just keep us safe. We have to participate in that part. That's the reason I keep pleading to this list to help us here on the 900 block of Mellon Street. Shelly --- john ciroli <jciroli@yahoo.com> wrote:
Well, 1114 Portland is a rental property and there is a family in there now with 1 kid. No Lincoln Navigator that I have seen, but that may be because it needs to be towed.
I don't believe that he does live there, but I will be on the lookout for him around that house.
So far, panhandling is not a crime, but obtaining money under false pretenses is. So if you call the police, tell them that this guy is running a scam and not that he is just looking for money. They won't typically arrest someone engaged in this type of panhandling. Also, everyone who encounters him should call. If the police get enough calls thay will find him just to make us stop calling.
John
--- matt wrbican <mwrb@earthlink.net> wrote:
He was very polite, as others have reported, and told me that he lives at 1114 Portland St. (I've never seen him in that area, and I've lived here for 10 years), and drives a black Lincoln Navigator which had been towed somewhere, and that he needed to take it to Iezzi's for repairs. He mentioned he has 2 kids. He needed "$13.52", which he said he'd repay no later than 11:15 pm. I don't know if the police came, but 911 took down all the info I gave them, including the flurry of posts here about his activities. Hopefully, the police will recognize the guy and pick him up; he seems to have a uniform.
Matt
Sweeney, Dan wrote:
I believe that if each and every one of us calls each and every time we're approached, the police will start to view this problem differently.
Dan Sweeney
-----Original Message----- From: neighborhood-bounces@highlandpark.pgh.pa.us on behalf of David Burns Sent: Sat 8/6/2005 12:09 AM To: matt wrbican Cc: neighborhood@highlandpark.pgh.pa.us; Sherry Goldman Subject: Re: [Highland Park] Tony- car towing scam
He came to our house on the 5700 block of Elgin Wednesday night around 11pm [for the 3rd time] and we called 911 immediately. It took an hour or so, but eventually the police drove by. Apparently this hasn't made a difference.
On 8/5/05, matt wrbican <mwrb@earthlink.net> wrote:
Tony is out TONIGHT (Friday) walking on the
1100 block of Portland St -
wearing an orange ECKO T-shirt and a Yankees ballcap.
Sherry Goldman wrote:
He came to our house a few weeks ago-said he was a neighbor and gave me an elaborate story about where he worked (far away) and that he just got off work. It was late at night- maybe after midnight. We were up and our porch light was on. I think he said his last name was Jenkins. I told him we didn't have any cash. I live on Jackson near Heberton.
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Tony tried to scam me today and I called the police. I live on Heberton Street. I am sending this email so people know that he is still out there. "Brackney, Rashall" <Rashall.Brackney@city.pittsburgh.pa.us> wrote: Dear Highland Park Neighbors, I have been away in training for the past three weeks, and only returned last week to see the flurry of emails regarding "Tony." I have sent the emails to a team of three plainclothes detectives with the basic descriptions, locations and times of occurrences. The officers will canvass the area in an attempt to locate "Tony." In the interim, PLEASE do not give him any money. I would also caution residents regarding opening their doors to a complete stranger late at night. When calling 911 give the operator a detailed description...clothing and direction of travel. I know it seems like it can take forever for an officer to arrive, but they will get there as dispatched. Also, let the 911 operator know if you would like to talk to the police officer. Many of you write that an officer just drove past the scene, and did not get out of the car, but it is very difficult to do more than that, if there is no one to confer with upon arrival. Hope that helps. RaShall M. Brackney, Commander Zone Five Station Penn Circle West and Ansley Pittsburgh, Pa. 15206 (412) 665-3605 -----Original Message----- From: neighborhood-bounces@highlandpark.pgh.pa.us [mailto:neighborhood-bounces@highlandpark.pgh.pa.us] On Behalf Of Shelly Danko+Day Sent: Monday, August 08, 2005 8:30 AM To: john ciroli; matt wrbican; Sweeney, Dan; Bodack, Len Cc: neighborhood@highlandpark.pgh.pa.us; Sherry Goldman; David Burns Subject: Re: [Highland Park] Tony- car towing scam Dear john and everyone: The cops won't just find him to make us stop calling. They have a HUGE area to cover, and the way our system is set up, they have no way of knowing what bad is happening unless we call 911...that is why we encourage people to report everything to 911...drug deals, prostitution, excessive noise from cars, etc. so they know where the activity is. They need our help to fight crime...they no longer just keep us safe. We have to participate in that part. That's the reason I keep pleading to this list to help us here on the 900 block of Mellon Street. Shelly --- john ciroli wrote:
Well, 1114 Portland is a rental property and there is a family in there now with 1 kid. No Lincoln Navigator that I have seen, but that may be because it needs to be towed.
I don't believe that he does live there, but I will be on the lookout for him around that house.
So far, panhandling is not a crime, but obtaining money under false pretenses is. So if you call the police, tell them that this guy is running a scam and not that he is just looking for money. They won't typically arrest someone engaged in this type of panhandling. Also, everyone who encounters him should call. If the police get enough calls thay will find him just to make us stop calling.
John
--- matt wrbican wrote:
He was very polite, as others have reported, and told me that he lives at 1114 Portland St. (I've never seen him in that area, and I've lived here for 10 years), and drives a black Lincoln Navigator which had been towed somewhere, and that he needed to take it to Iezzi's for repairs. He mentioned he has 2 kids. He needed "$13.52", which he said he'd repay no later than 11:15 pm. I don't know if the police came, but 911 took down all the info I gave them, including the flurry of posts here about his activities. Hopefully, the police will recognize the guy and pick him up; he seems to have a uniform.
Matt
Sweeney, Dan wrote:
I believe that if each and every one of us calls each and every time we're approached, the police will start to view this problem differently.
Dan Sweeney
-----Original Message----- From: neighborhood-bounces@highlandpark.pgh.pa.us on behalf of David Burns Sent: Sat 8/6/2005 12:09 AM To: matt wrbican Cc: neighborhood@highlandpark.pgh.pa.us; Sherry Goldman Subject: Re: [Highland Park] Tony- car towing scam
He came to our house on the 5700 block of Elgin Wednesday night around 11pm [for the 3rd time] and we called 911 immediately. It took an hour or so, but eventually the police drove by. Apparently this hasn't made a difference.
On 8/5/05, matt wrbican wrote:
Tony is out TONIGHT (Friday) walking on the
1100 block of Portland St -
wearing an orange ECKO T-shirt and a Yankees ballcap.
Sherry Goldman wrote:
He came to our house a few weeks ago-said he was a neighbor and gave me an elaborate story about where he worked (far away) and that he just got off work. It was late at night- maybe after midnight. We were up and our porch light was on. I think he said his last name was Jenkins. I told him we didn't have any cash. I live on Jackson near Heberton.
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participants (2)
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Brackney, Rashall
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Sam Al-Droubi