A distressing incident unfolded early Tuesday morning at Tregelles Court estate in Morriston, Swansea when a kind-hearted local was taken advantage of by an unexpected visitor. Maria Isabel Lopes, 66, a resident of a modest bungalow, experienced a day she will not soon forget after opening her door to a stranger in need.
Between 8 am and 9 am on Tuesday, February 24, Mrs Lopes answered a knock at her door. Standing there was a young woman, claiming to be pregnant, who politely asked if she could use the toilet. Trusting and compassionate, Mrs Lopes allowed her entry. However, the visitor’s intentions soon took a surprising and distressing turn, reported Wales Online.
According to Mrs Lopes’ daughter-in-law, Jodie Poland, the situation quickly escalated. “She had got a knock on the door and there was a lady who had her hood up but it was raining – it was an awful morning. She said she was pregnant and needed to go to the hospital but needed to go to the toilet and so she let her in. She was rubbing her belly as if to make a point that she needed the toilet or that she was pregnant.
“What was strange, and I think this is how she managed to steal the things, to be honest, is she had sat on the toilet and left the door open. Any normal person wouldn’t want to stand there and watch that person go to the toilet so my mother-in-law walked into the kitchen and I believe that’s when she took all the things she took.
“She took over £100 in money, her bank card, her bus pass, her phone. My mother-in-law was shaken up after it. She’s not good. My mother-in-law is from South Africa, Mozambique, she’s never been robbed there. She lived in London in the 1990s then she came to Swansea and this is where it happens. It’s awful.
“She realized what had happened pretty much immediately because she went to look for her phone and couldn’t place it and then she thought: ‘Oh, where’s my bag?’ She had placed her bag under washing in a washing basket in the bathroom. “The neighbor which faces my mother-in-law had witnessed the lady go in and out. He called the police and the police dropped my mother-in-law to our house.”
The brazen act left Mrs Lopes not only bereft of her belongings but also deeply shaken by the betrayal of trust. Her son, Claudio Faria, expressed his fury over the incident, stating, “I was angry when I realized what happened. We didn’t know what was going on as she didn’t have her phone. It was anger – you just want to try and find out who it is because other people could be impacted, not just my mother.”
“It is fortunate that there wasn’t any violence because you hear of that in these things – these things have been going on for years. It was fortunate that she was not hurt but at the same time, it shouldn’t be happening in this world, taking advantage of people. Jodie and I have put some posts up on social media.”
Ms Poland added further insight into their ongoing ordeal, “We’ve kept her with us as we don’t want her to go home – we’re too scared, especially without a phone. I have had a lot of interaction with people online. It has been overwhelming. There’s been people offering to give money to my mother-in-law – there’s been people offering gifts. So as much as it’s bad there’s some good out there as well. We’ve also had a lot of people sending photos of people they think might be involved.”
South Wales Police were called at 11 am on the same day to investigate the distraction burglary. While no arrests have been made, the investigation continues, with police urging anyone with further information to come forward. This troubling incident highlights the vulnerability of those who extend kindness and serves as a stark reminder of the need for vigilance in our communities.
