The police over wide areas in Eastern Norway have received a number of reports in recent months about unknown men who have made unannounced visits to the elderly.
They have pretended to be inspectors from electricity companies or electricity companies. In several cases, the unknown person has stolen a bank card, cheated on the code and withdrawn money.
But the information has not been good enough for an arrest. Not until last Thursday.
Then a fake inspector met great-grandmother Nancy Lunde (96), great-grandson Vilde Brauti (14) and her father Espen Brauti (43) at Ulefoss in Midt-Telemark.
On Thursday evening, a man was arrested near Lillestrøm. At the weekend, the man (50) was remanded in custody for two weeks in Romerike and Glåmdal District Court.
NOK 18,000 – and many cases
He is accused of having “intruded” on Nancy (96) at Ulefoss and of defrauding himself of NOK 18,000 during a similar, surprise visit to a woman in Skiptvet in Østfold.
– The police are now investigating five cases with similar features in the East and South-East police districts. In addition, the investigators will look at several similar cases in the Innlandet police district, says police attorney Beate Gregersen Tande in the South-East to Dagbladet.
She confirms that no bank card was stolen during the “controller’s visit” to her great-grandmother at Ulefoss, which triggered the arrest.
Local newspaper Channels first reported the visit to Ulefoss. It was the second time in a month that Nancy Lunde had such a visit.
AWAKE: Vilde Brauti (14) and father Espen Brauti (43). Photo: Private.
sea view
Shoes, clothes and photo
Head of department Kay Lund-Pettersen at Indre Østfold police station says Smaalenenes Avis that shoes and clothes have been found at the man’s home, which are linked to the charge.
Avisa has a surveillance image from 30 January where a tied-up man withdraws money with the stolen card from Skiptvet.
The 50-year-old is also suspected of having withdrawn around NOK 20,000 on 27 February with a card that was stolen from an elderly woman in Trøgstad in Østfold.
What led to the man’s arrest?
Stranger – again
Razor-sharp vigilance for several generations at the same time is the overall answer. Plus some luck with a minute or two and a few seconds.
And quite specifically: Picture of the car with the suspicious inspector.
– Mother was suddenly visited by such an inspector a month ago, and was very ready to look after her bank card when it happened again, says Nancy Lunde’s son and Vilde’s grandfather Jan Lunde (77).
So last Thursday at 5pm: Vilde walked past her great-grandmother and a strange man came out of the house.
– I thought about the strange visit to her, and followed the man to the car 30-40 meters away. But it went so fast that I only managed to note the letters and three of the five numbers on the sign, says Vilde to Dagbladet.
The arrested man is currently charged with unauthorized entry or stay in another’s house, as well as reckless behaviour.
The man’s defender, Charlotte Tuven Eriksen from Advokatfirmaet Lærum, says TV 2 that she cannot comment on the charge at this time. The man did not want to explain himself to the police.
– He has been in for questioning, but beyond that it is not natural to comment more on the case today, says Eriksen to the channel.
– There’s the car!
Then dad Espen Brauti came by in his car, on his way home from work. Vilde jumped in, the dashboard camera was on in the car.
– A minute or two had probably passed since the man from great-grandmother’s house had driven off. I told my father what I had experienced, but did not recognize cars we saw on the short way home, she says.
The fake electrical inspector’s CAR. Screenshot: Facebook/Jan Lunde.
sea view
Papa Espen continues: – We looked through the footage from the camera. Then Vilde exclaims: – There’s the car!
It came the opposite way.
– What do you say now, Vilde?
– It is natural to help.
– And what does great-grandmother say?
– She is happy!
Nancy Drew was Miss Detective and lived in the United States. Nancy Lunde is Enkefru detective and lives in Ulefoss. This is the story of what was probably a failed crime and a successful manhunt, is Telemarksavis characteristic before the other cases connected with the mysterious man are known.
