Ottawa Police are warning about a woman posing as a health care worker, breaking in to seniors' residences around town.
One couple knows all about it; they say they've encountered one woman twice now and captured the encounter on camera.
Ottawa Police say a woman fitting the same description is responsible for multiple break and enters in buildings across the city.
An Ottawa couple found a stranger in scrubs in the unit of their west-end condo building in March; imagine their surprise when she showed up again this past Saturday.
“She's coming down the walkway here and covering up her face as best she can.” Mike Thompson is going over the video he took of a woman posing as a health care worker outside his condo building this past weekend. The Thompsons still can't believe the cavalier attitude of the woman who popped out of the bush beside their building Saturday afternoon.
“As soon as she realized someone was videotaping her, she put her elbow up to hide her face,” explains Mike.
In the video, Mike is seen following the woman as she tries to get someone to buzz her into the building, claiming she locked herself out.
“It’s not going to work this time,” he says.
“What are you talking about,” she answers.
“You know what I’m talking about,” he says.
The Thompsons have encountered the woman before inside their condo unit March 4th.
“I was across the hall checking on our neighbor,” says Barbara Thompson, “I came in and there she was standing in our front hallway.”
Barbara says the woman, dressed in "scrubs", held up a pill bottle and said she was looking for someone named "Phyllis."
“In this building we are used to seeing personal care workers up and down the hall,” says Barbara, “and I said “You've got the wrong unit,” and she immediately left.”
Barbara says another tenant woke from a nap to find a strange woman wearing scrubs in her bathroom.
Ottawa Police have released photos of someone wearing scrubs and a ball cap who they say is responsible for multiple break and enters at seniors' residences, dating back to 2016.
In fact, photos from Toronto Police from 2015 appear to show a similar suspect. This woman, police say, made off with $1000 from a 91-year-old.
“Somebody has to know her and she has to be stopped,” says Barbara Thompson.
For those with legitimate business at this building, they worry about their elderly clientele.
Linda Hansen is with Molly Maid, “Just like this lady I'm going to,” says Hansen, “She just lets us in, doesn't ask who we are. “I'll buzz you up,” she says. And you get worried, because there's a lot of bad people out there.”
The Thompsons hope this woman will be caught but in the meantime warn residents not to let anyone in they don't know.
The Thompsons' desire to get this video out there is working. Their son posted it on Facebook a couple days ago. It's now been viewed more than 90,000 times.