Resident calls police, stops men from swindling elderly Hurst woman

A resident who overheard a suspicious conversation about home repair work between two men and an elderly woman in a credit union parking lot stopped an attempted scam, police said Monday.

The two men were arrested Friday, and both face exploitation of the elderly charges, police said.

They are accused of scamming the 84-year-old woman, who was walking with a cane, out of $1,000 for cleaning and sealing vinyl siding on her home.

Police identified the suspects as Sam Lee, 51, and Robert Mitchell, 57.

The resident overheard the conversation Friday in the parking lot of the EECU credit union, 1600 Campus Drive. One of the men asked the woman if she knew how much money to get, police said.

The resident contacted police.

After investigating, officers arrested the two men and the money was returned to the woman, police said.

Police said they have seen scams in which suspects claiming to be contractors offered specialized products to seal driveways, asphalt shingles and house siding.

Lee and Mitchell face additional charges of failure to identify, as well as traffic warrants. The suspects remained in the Hurst Jail on Monday. Lee’s bail was set at $15,570 and Mitchell’s at $15,500.

This story was originally published March 27, 2017 at 12:19 PM with the headline "Resident calls police, stops men from swindling elderly Hurst woman."