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Family Says Elderly Couple Scammed Out Of $8,000, Jewelry

MCDONALD, Pa. (KDKA) -- Police in Washington County are trying to track down a group of three men who stole thousands of dollars in cash and valuables from an elderly couple in McDonald.

Late Thursday afternoon, with rain coming, Bill Turkaly was lowering the American flag in his front yard when a man approached.

"He said, 'Here let me help you,'" said Bill

Following Bill into the garage, the stranger said he was from a Princeton-based water testing service.

"I said, 'What's the name of your company. Let me see your card,'" said Bill. "He said, 'You'll get the card.' He kept putting me off."

Dorothy, 84, and Bill Turkaly, 87, have been husband and wife for 67 years. They've weathered a lot together, but the men who invaded their home broke the most unwavering of hearts.

Family members say the men stole $8,000 in cash from several safes and all the jewelry in the house.

"The stole all my..." Dorothy's voice trail off. There are tears.

Dorothy's wedding ring is gone, her mother's wedding ring also gone, along with every piece of her good jewelry, and thousands of dollars from a lock box. In minutes, the house was turned upside down.

"You can't even put into words how horrible people can be," Dorothy said.

One bogus worker kept Bill busy in the basement, and another cornered Dorothy in the bathroom.

"'Put the hot, put the cold, flush the toilet,'" she said he instructed her. "I know I did that least a hundred times."

The couple says another man drove the newer model, silver Toyota minivan they left in.

The men are described as being in their 30s, black haired with olive complexions. One had a small moustache and beard. They used cell phones to talk to each other in a foreign language.

"This can happen to anybody, anytime, any day. That's what's dangerous about it," says Bill.

Bill and Dorothy wonder if they might have been followed home from the Mountaineer Casino. They're also calling pawn shops hoping that some of those irreplaceable memories will turn up, especially that first ring bill put on Dorothy's finger on April 10, 1947.

"I wasn't engaged for too long because he swept me off my feet," says Dorothy.

Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to contact the McDonald Police Department.

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