The Riverside County Sheriff's Department is warning the public about people who are posing as firefighters in the aftermath of the Holy Fire, and they're asking for the public's help in identifying one specific man.
Diane Cody lives in Lake Elsinore, and while she was evacuated from her home she was able to see some of what was going on while she was gone thanks to her Ring video doorbell. She saw firefighters coming to the door to check that everyone had evacuated, she could see a fire truck parked across the street keeping an eye on flames that came VERY close, but eventually, the danger passed and she was able to return to her home.
But it was video she saw from that doorbell camera on Monday that really made her nervous.
A man came to the door, rang the bell and said:
"I'm with the Riverside County Fire Department, we were just letting you know that everything is under control, we're just so sorry that it came so close. "
The problem, according to ABC 7, is that the man is NOT a representative of the Riverside County Fire Department.
What's worse is that, after leaving the front door area, other cameras on the property caught the man peering into Cody's backyard, trying to look into the house.
Cody says her daughter and granddaughter were home at the time while he was walking around and the situation scared her because:
"I think he came here for some bad intentions,"
Capt. Fernando Herrera of the Riverside County Fire Department says they're trying to find out who the man was and offered up some advice on what to look for if you suspect someone is not who they claim to be. He told ABC 7:
"If the fire department needs to make contact with you at your residence, we'll be in full uniform, obviously. We're not going to be in a plain t-shirt."
If you recognize the man in the video, please call the Riverside County Sheriff's Department at (951) 210-1000