Cape police warn of con artist

Police issued a warning Friday about a woman who gains the confidence of people and then steals from them after being admitted to their home.

Sgt. Barry Hovis of the Cape Girardeau Police Department said the woman, who has been seen driving a red Ford pickup truck with Colorado license plates, has taken prescription pain medicine and cash in two robberies.

In the first instance, which occurred July 13, the woman went to a Cape Girardeau home asking if she was at the right location for a housecleaning job, Hovis said. When the suspect was told she was in the wrong place, she asked the woman who answered the door to allow her to mix baby formula and watch a small child while she did so.

The drugs were taken at that home, Hovis said.

In the second instance, the woman knocked on a door on Thursday asking if she was at the right location for a meal delivery, Hovis said. The resident told her no, and refused to let the suspect enter.

The suspect asked to use the telephone to seek directions and was allowed to enter the home. Cash was stolen at that residence, Hovis said.

There is a third incident that police haven't finished investigating, Hovis said.

The suspect is described as a white woman between 20 and 30 years old with light brown or blonde hair. The child with her is described as a 2- or 3-year-old girl with curly blonde hair.

In addition to the red pickup with Colorado license plates, the woman has also been seen in a small, dark car, police reported.

Anyone with information about the woman, these incidents or similar incidents may call the Cape Girardeau Police Department at 335-6621 or CrimeStoppers at 332-0500.

rkeller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126