A man and a woman from Florida are accused of scamming two elderly Connecticut residents into letting them into their homes and then stealing from them.
Farmington police started investigating when the neighbor of a 96-year-old woman on Main Street reported that a man and woman were soliciting to do some tree work and appeared to have forced their way into the neighbor’s house.
Police detained Virginia Demetro, 44, and Steve Nichols, 47, both of Fort Lauderdale, who are accused of telling the victim that her roof was leaking and she needed to have some tree work done, then stealing $340 from the woman’s purse when they got into her house.
Demetro and Nichols also had some credit cards from an elderly Simsbury resident and that victim told police that Demetro and Nichols had pulled a similar scam on her earlier in the day.
The Simsbury victim was also missing some jewelry, which has not been located.
Demetro and Nichols were arrested and charged with second-degree burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary in the second degree, sixth-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit larceny in the sixth degree, criminal attempt to commit larceny in the second degree and conspiracy to commit larceny in the second degree.
Both are in police custody, where they are on medical watch.
Neither has ties to Connecticut. and they told their public defenders they've only been here a few days.
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Authorities said Demetro has no record, but Nichols s been arrested in four states.
Farmington police said Simsbury police will be applying for arrest warrants for the incident there.
