Elderly woman robbed of cash, jewelry

BOCA RATON, Fla. (WSVN) -- Thieves are at large after conning an elderly woman out of her money, jewelry and her most prized possession.

On Thursday at 2:30 p.m., 99-year-old Lucille Jacobs heard a knock on the door of her Boca Raton home. The woman standing outside also rang the doorbell. "My daughter said, 'Never open the door,' and I wouldn't, until she made so much noise out there," she said. "And I went to the door, and I looked through the peephole. I said, 'Who are you?' and she said, 'Florida Power and Light, and it's very important that I speak with you.'"

The woman convinced Jacobs to meet her on the back patio of the home. "She said, 'You know the trouble we're having in New York? Well, we want to make it better. We're going to have a lot of hurricanes here, and they want people to have lights,'" said Jacobs. "I'm telling you, she was professional."

The two women talked on the side of the house for about half an hour. Jacobs said, "She had this little radio, and she heard everything they were saying and they heard everything she was saying. The fellow was talking to her."

The man talking to the woman was not a co-worker, however, but an accomplice.

After the conversation, Jacobs went back inside her home. "They had taken one of the pillowcases off my pillow," she said. "She took all the jewelry."

The thieves stole tens of thousands of dollars' worth of jewelry, $1,500 in cash, evening gowns and a mink stole. "My husband had given me a diamond wedding band that he had made for our 55th wedding anniversary, and I said if I could only have that, I don't care about anything else," Jacobs said through tears.

Jacobs said she does not understand why the crooks targeted her. "Why pick on me?" she asked.

FPL said they will never send someone to your home without making prior arrangements. If anyone comes to your door saying they are from FPL, ask for identification and call FPL.

The female suspect is described as a woman with long, dark hair in a ponytail. She was last seen wearing maternity clothing.

If you have any information on her whereabouts, call Palm Beach Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward.

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