Please forward this information to all neighbors, especially those that may be older (seniors) and live alone. The caller used the woman's first name when speaking to her.
On Wednesday, August 20th at approximately 11:40 pm, a north Long Beach resident that resides in the 300 block of Harding, received a call from a man who identified himself as "Tony." He claimed that he was a neighbor of hers and that he was from neighborhood watch. "Tony" told the woman that there were burglars in the area and that she needed to come out of her house immediately and stand in the middle of the street so that all neighbors could be accounted for. Fortunately, the woman found this to be odd and could not recall anyone with the name of Tony living on her street. "Tony" continued to attempt to persuade the woman into the street by saying that if she looked out the window she would see him in the middle of the street waving at her and that it was ok to come outside. The woman looked outside her front window and advised "Tony" that she did not see him standing on the street. "Tony's" response was that he had dark colored skin which made it difficult for her to see him. Still finding this very odd and suspicious, the woman hung up and immediately contacted the LBPD. Officers arrived on scene in less than a minute and searched the woman's backyard and the surrounding area. Officers were unable to locate anyone.
Please remember to be alert and aware of your surroundings at all times. If anyone experiences anything similar, please contact the LBPD immediately to report it. You may call 9-1-1 from a land line or call our alternate emergency number (562) 435-6711 from a cellular phone.