Burglars distract elderly Rowland Heights woman to steal safe containing jewelry, mementos

ROWLAND HEIGHTS, Calif. (KABC) -- Authorities are searching for three suspects caught on surveillance video preying on the kindness of an elderly woman in Rowland Heights.

Police released the surveillance video Wednesday in the hopes that the public can help recognize one or all of the suspects.

In the video, the three suspects are seen tricking a 93-year-old woman into letting them inside her home. The suspects enter the home and begin distracting her in order to steal items.

"One of the suspects distracted the victim, while two of the other suspects entered one of the bedrooms and stole a safe that was located inside of a walk-in closet," said Alfredo Gomez, a detective with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

The burglars got away with jewelry and mementos that were priceless to the victim and her family. One of the items was an engagement ring given to her by her husband who died two years ago.

"It's a remembrance of stuff given by family members, and they're personal. They took it just as value for them to make money," the woman's son, Carl Giardina, said.

Carl said his mother opened the door because the suspects mentioned their next door neighbors and said they were one of the family members.

Authorities said the suspects are two men, one in his mid to late 40s and one in his 20s, as well as a woman in her mid-thirties. Luckily, the victim was not harmed during the burglary but it took an emotional toll on her.

"At night, it hits her kind of hard. She'll make comments...that she wanted to her end her life because of what happened, what she lost," Carl said.