by Timothy Rutt
Many if not most Altadena houses received a notice in the past week that a company was coming by to paint curb numbers and would return later to solicit a donation. This isn't terribly unusual around these parts.
But one of our readers told us that someone appears to be riding its coattails to scam homeowners.
Our reader told us that, a few hours after his curb number was painted, a teenage Latino boy ("I don't think he was 18 years old") came to the door Monday at dusk asking for donations and extra money to add a sports team logo or other emblem next to the number. Our reader says that "he did have in hand all the stuff that a normal company would," such a pictures of decals and the like.
Our reader wrote out a $20 check to the young man at the door, who said make it to "CAS."
Then, he says, he called the county-certified company today and they said they had not started collecting any donations yet. They said that the young man at the door was actually stealing the donations.
(A check made out to "CAS" can easily be turned into "CASH").
The sheriff's department has been notified, our reader said, who described the boy's vehicle as a teal green "Geo Metro thingie."
Don't forget: the Altadena Sheriff's Station number is 798-1131.
