A supposed raccoon rescue on a quiet Berkeley block turned into an alleged shakedown of an 89-year-old woman this week, after a trio of men climbed onto her roof, tore up shingles, then demanded thousands of dollars to “fix” the damage, the victim and neighbors say.
The woman, who lives on Prince Street near Ashby BART, told neighbors the men showed up with a ladder, claimed they could remove a raccoon from her roof, then went to work. Instead of safely ushering out wildlife, they allegedly removed shingles, tried to collect a steep repair bill, and then took off in a white pickup, according to what she later told police. Berkeley police have been notified and are investigating.
The victim says the men first quoted $60 to remove the animal and asked for a small down payment. Later, she says, they claimed they had torn away shingles and now needed $1,600 to repair the hole, then left with $600 in cash and some of her financial documents, according to reporting by The Berkeley Scanner. Neighbors’ security cameras captured two of the men, and the crew reportedly sped away down the street in a white pickup truck…