Elderly man thwarts robbery by men posing as water company workers
LODI, N.J. (WABC) -- Authorities are searching for four men who posed as water company employees to try and rob an elderly man in New Jersey.
The incident happened Tuesday afternoon at a home on East Place in Lodi.
"The fella came in and he had a card or a badge or something, and said he was from the water works," said the victim, Anthony Moccio.
In 90 years, Moccio has seen a few things, so he knew right away the two men at his door were not from the water company. But they were young and big, so when the two pushed into his home he went for his phone to call the Lodi police.
"I said get the phone, get the phone, but he wouldn't let me get to the phone," he said. "I was a nervous wreck."
But don't let their age fool you. These two are still active, still raise their own vegetables in the garden, they take care of their own house.
But Anamassio was afraid the men, now four of them in the house, would hurt her husband, who wasn't backing down.
"There was a heavy set guy who wanted to get to the phone and I was pushing him, pushing him, pushing him and he was pushing me back. He said, 'Oh no, no don't worry about it, you'll call them later.' But I said, 'You're coming in my house, you're breaking and entering you're getting five to 10 years for this," Anthony Moccio said.
The men rooted through the house for more than 10 minutes, while the biggest of them stayed with Anthony.
"When you were pushing this guy, were you a little afraid?" Eyewitness News reporter Jim Dolan asked.
"To tell you the truth I wasn't afraid. I wanted to get to the phone and he was pushing me back," Anthony Moccio said.
"I think Anamassio was afraid," Dolan said.
"He should be too," Anamassio Moccio said about her husband.
The men, in the end, found nothing and left.
"Not anything much of value in the house anyway right?" Dolan said.
"Just us!" Anamassio Moccio said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Lodi Police Department Detectives at (973) 473 - 7600.
