Manny Rivers, 76, lives alone in his Kissimmee home.

  • Osceola Co. residents targeted in distraction burglaries
  • Deputies say burglars are posing as workers with pest, roofing companies
  • Manny Rivers says man posing as utility worker knocked on his door

He is concerned as he can’t find three pieces of jewelry that are very important to him.

“I feel bad, I feel bad that this happened to me,” he said.   

Rivers one of nearly 10 people in Osceola County who had valuables stolen. The Osceola County Sheriff's Office said burglars are getting into homes to steal by pretending they're with pest, landscaping or roofing companies.

“You know if you ever get a bad feeling you always have the right to call,” said Major Jacob Ruiz with the Sheriff’s Office. “Don't even give them access to your backyard. Go inside the house, lock your doors and call law enforcement.”

Rivers said a man posing as a water utility employee knocked on his door. Rivers said that the individual had a gauge and claimed he needed to check on his well. He said they moved away from the front of the house and into the backyard. Rivers believes another individual got into his unlocked home in the meantime.

Rivers said he is now missing his college graduation ring which had a 1 carat diamond, a gold pinky ring from his childhood and an onyx stone ring his wife gave him before she died.

Rivers was the only one targeted within his community. He thinks he was being watched days prior to the incident.

“Whoever it was knew where everything was," he said. "(They) went in there picked up whatever they need and they moved on."  

Rivers just hopes the people responsible are caught.

“The ring my wife gave me that was the last thing she gave me. Can't replace that… These are just irreplaceable things,” Rivers said.

Orange County is also warning residents of distraction burglaries.