Phone calls to the police extinguished the chances of two scammers collecting any additional donations for a fake house fire.
On Saturday, police arrested Terri Bryant 36, 11 Heron St., and a 16-year-old girl after residents called law enforcement because the two were going door-to-door asking for money because their house had burned down.
The homeowners in the neighborhood were trying to verify that the request for assistance was for a legitimate cause… it wasn’t.
Chief Edrick Hall said the people wanted to help, but they were just trying to confirm that the home had actually burned. “I reached out to Assistant Chief Hughes, who informed me they had not had a house fire. We arrested and charged them,” said Hall.
Bryant and the girl were charged with false pretense and Bryant is also charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
The alleged deceptive duo collected an undisclosed amount of money and Hall said he believes Saturday was the only day they attempted their ruse. “The citizens did a really good job of alerting us pretty quickly of them being in their neighborhood, that’s who really made the case for us,” Hall said.
Bryant was released on a misdemeanor bond, but additional charges are possible and the girl was remanded to youth court.
