Police search for thieves posing as water department workers

Arlington police hope home surveillance video will help identify a couple pretending to be water department employees who stole from a senior citizen.

Detectives say one distracted the woman while the other stole valuables and police believe they're responsible for other similar crimes in Arlington and Irving.

Darlene Svehlak, 81, says last Saturday evening around 6 p.m. a man and woman made their way into their home posing as Irving city water workers. The woman went to the kitchen turning on and off the faucet and the man disappeared into the back room.

"She kept saying the water is going to turn green, and I kept saying it's not going to turn green,” Svehlak said. “After while they said ‘We're going to cut your water off.’ And I said the hell you're going to cut my water off! I said you need to get out of here you got a scam going on!">>

Realizing she was being duped, Svehlak got even more aggressive.

"I said lady if you don't get the hell out of here I'm gonna take that broom and knock you Cross-eyed!” Svehlak said.

She says when she reached for the phone and said she was calling the police they left. At the time she didn't realize what they had taken from her bedroom.

"The tray was empty! And I'm like, well crap!  He got the rings! That's why he went in here,” Svehlak said.

Arlington police released video from a Feb. 4 incident of a man and a woman using the same scam to rob an elderly woman. As the woman distracted the victim, the man filled up pillow case with cash, credit cards, pistols and jewelry. In that case the duo wore what appeared to be identification tags. 

Svehlak was shown the video and said the two looked like the same people who were in her house.

"I want a caught! I want them caught.  And I want them kicked in the ass for doing this!”