Cable company impersonators sought

Metro Police are looking for two men who posed as cable company employees to gain entry to a house and rob the woman inside.

About 7 p.m. on Jan. 24, two men identified themselves as Cox Communications employees to an elderly woman at her home in the 800 block of East St. Louis Avenue.

"They said that they were there to service her equipment, but they were bogus," Metro Detective Randy Bingham said.

The two men then sprayed Mace at her and beat the woman while demanding money and jewelry, Bingham said.

Cox Communications Vice President Steve Schorr said the incident demonstrates how important it is for residents to take precautions when answering a door to anyone who claims they work for a utility or other agency.

"We do not have crews in the field that randomly knock on doors and go into homes," Schorr said.

"To get inside a house, an appointment has to be made in advance of us sending someone out. If a Cox Communications employee or contractor needs to get into a backyard (to service equipment), he will knock on the door and ask for access into the yard, but will never ask to go inside in the house."

Also, Schorr said that all employees and contractors wear identification cards that include the company logo, a photo of the worker, the department the employee works in and an issue date. Also, a logo patch worn on a sleeve or chest features three distinctive hash marks through the "X" in Cox.

"No one should ever allow anybody into their home that cannot provide that ID card," Schorr said. "If there are any questions, ask to see the ID through the peephole then call and check them out. If they refuse to wait, call the police because they do not work for us." Cox Communications can be reached 383-4000.

Schorr said that all work crews, even contractors, have "Cox Communications" printed somewhere on their vehicles.

The robbers wore yellow hard hats with "Cox broadcasting" markings on them. One man wore a tool belt, and the other a tool apron, police said. One of the men also had an oval patch on his shirt with a name on it. The victim could not remember the name.

The first man is described as white in his early to mid-30s with blonde hair and hazel eyes. He is 150 pounds and between 5 feet 8 inches and 6 feet.

The second man is described as Hispanic or Indian with black hair and about 38 years old, police said. He is about 195 pounds and between 5 feet 8 inches and 6 feet tall.

Anyone with any information on these two men is asked to call the robbery detail at 229-3591 or Secret Witness at 385-5555.

Sun reporter Ed Koch contributed to this report.

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