Squeaky voice, community tip lead to arrest of fake HOA burglar

Article Courtesy of  Local 12 News -- CBS Palm Beach

By Gary Detman    

Published May 17, 2020

  

GREENACRES — A squeaky voice proved to be a clue in the arrest of a maintenance worker who investigators say posed as a Homeowner's Association (HOA) representative to steal pain medication and jewelry from an elderly woman in Greenacres.
    

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office arrested 37-year-old Andres Briceno on charges of exploitation of the elderly, burglary and grand theft.

A woman and her 74-year-old mother called the sheriff's office to report a burglary. The woman told investigators her mom let a man who claimed to be with the HOA into her home to check for leaks. She later believed it to be a hoax. Deputies ask the two to look for any missing items. The woman said a jewelry box that she left at her mother's house was missing, along with her mother's medication.

According to the arrest report, the 74-year-old woman who is in the early stages of dementia told detectives the man had a high pitched and squeaky voice. The woman said she remembered that because the intruder told her that he thinks his own grandmother thinks he's gay because of his voice. But he told her that he loves women. The man went around the woman's home and came back to her room with her daughter's jewelry box. He said he needed to move it because it was going to get wet where it was.

Deputies reviewed surveillance video of the man. He wore black glasses, a COVID-19 face mask, gloves, an orange shirt, blue jeans and black shoes. After sharing images of the man with the public, deputies received a tip that he did maintenance for the Pine Ridge North 2 Homeowner's Association. The tip led investigators to a former roommate who also mentioned the suspect's squeaky voice.

Andres Briceno is accused of posing as an HOA worker to steal jewelry and pain medication from an elderly woman in Greenacres.


 

Detectives showed Briceno the video of the burglary. According to the report, he denied being there or having any involvement.

Briceno is due back in court next month.

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