Police in Troy, Michigan, are searching for a group of at least two people who, investigators say, distracted an 86-year-old woman with a kiss on the cheek while an accomplice swapped her gold jewelry for cheap fakes — making off with more than $20,000 worth of real gold.
The theft happened on Halloween, October 31, as Wardia Sadik was taking out the trash outside her senior apartment complex. According to a Troy police account relayed to local media, a car pulled up carrying what looked like a family of five — a woman, a man and several children. One of the passengers reached through the car window, kissed Sadik on the cheek and touched her face. In the moment of distraction, investigators say, her real gold necklace and bracelet were swapped for costume jewelry and pressed back into her hands. Sadik, who speaks little English, did not realize what had happened until later.
A pattern police have seen before
Sadik's husband, Daniel Markous, described her confusion afterward.
She don't know how they take it from her.
Daniel Markous, Sadik's husband
Mario Bastianelli, a former Sterling Heights police captain who reviewed the case for local reporting on the case, said the tactic follows a familiar script used against older victims, particularly those who do not speak English and may be reluctant to call police.
It's very quick interactions. It's very — like they try to confuse people.
Mario Bastianelli, former Sterling Heights police captain
Troy police have not announced an arrest or released a suspect description beyond the family-of-five account. Sadik's son told reporters he had repeatedly urged his mother to keep her jewelry out of sight when she was outside alone.
Distraction thefts targeting older adults — often involving a stranger's unwanted physical contact to mask a swap or pickpocketing — have been reported in several U.S. cities this year, and police departments including Troy's have urged residents to be wary of unfamiliar vehicles approaching them on foot.
