CON ARTISTS ACTIVE IN VALLEY SENIORS WARNED TO REMAIN WARY.

Byline: Josh Kleinbaum Staff Writer

MISSION HILLS - Ray Elmer thought he was doing a good deed when two women and a little girl knocked on his door in July looking for a white cat, and he let them into his back yard to search.

Hours after their 15-minute visit, Elmer, a retired Los Angeles Police Department detective, discovered that cash, jewelry and his service revolver were gone from inside his house.

``They were very smooth and very pleasant about things,'' said Elmer, 86. ``We have so many new people around the neighborhood, it seemed plausible. It kind of hurts that you get taken.''

On Thursday, the LAPD asked the public's help to find con artists that have been active in the San Fernando Valley since June, targeting senior citizens such as Elmer.

Two separate groups of con artists have fleeced at least 12 victims of thousands of dollars using two separate scams, officials said - one targeting homeowners such as Elmer, and one targeting elderly Latino women on the street.

In the first scam, the women get into a homeowner's backyard on the pretense of a lost cat or a plumbing problem, officials said. While they keep the resident occupied, an unidentified suspect walks in the unlocked door and burglarizes the house.

In the second scam, a couple tells elderly women that they've won the lottery but cannot claim the prize because they are in the country illegally, officials said. They convince the victims to give them money - sometimes thousands of dollars - as a good-faith gesture, and promise to give them a share of the winnings once the money has been claimed.

``These suspects are very elaborate,'' Detective Abel Parga said. ``They're actors, in a sense. They are very convincing. They prey on the fact that senior citizens have a big heart and want to help.''

In the Mission area, four victims have reported the lottery scams and three have reported the backyard scams, Parga said, although officials believe there are more victims who have been too embarrassed to come forward. Five others have reported similar scams in other parts of the San Fernando Valley, Parga said.

``This is another reminder to be aware of your surroundings, to know who your neighbors are and be involved in your community,'' City Council President Alex Padilla said. ``It makes you much less susceptible to these kinds of crimes.''

The suspects in the backyard scams are young women, usually accompanied by a young girl or a 9- to 10-year-old child, officials said.

The lottery scam is performed by a Latino couple, officials said. Victims described one as a 40- to 50-year-old woman, 5 feet 4 inches or shorter, weighing 140 to 150 pounds, with black hair sometimes worn in a bun, brown eyes and glasses. The man has black hair and brown eyes, is 40 to 50 years old, 5 feet 4 inches or shorter, weighs 120 to 150 pounds, and possibly has a mustache.

Anyone with information on the crimes, or anyone who believes they are a victim of similar crimes, can contact Parga at [phone], or [phone] after business hours.

Josh Kleinbaum, [phone]

josh.kleinbaum(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

A police sketch of one of the suspects in local scams.