Authorities urge caution after North Hills home invasion raises questions about scams, gas leaks 

Authorities are urging residents to take safety precautions against home invasion scams after three men dressed as utility workers forced their way into a North Hills home on Monday.

The masquerading invaders unwittingly raised important questions about what homeowners should do in the event of an actual gas leak.

First and foremost, when a resident smells gas, the first call should be to 911, authorities said.

Nassau Assistant Chief Fire Marshal James Hickman said an odor is added to natural gas, so that when there is a leak, residents will know about it, he said.

Natural gas and propane have the potential to become flammable and explosive; staying in your home during a gas leak could cost you your life, Hickman said.

"If you use the telephone or turn lights on or off, that could cause a spark that could cause an explosion," he said. "Err on the side of safety. Natural gas has great potential to harm people, whether it's through asphyxiation or explosion."

If you smell gas, immediately leave your home, he said. Go as far as at least the sidewalk or where the odor is not detected, and call 911, he said.

In case of gas leak emergencies, fire or police departments are always first to respond to the scene — followed by a gas company, and virtually never the other way around.

In Monday's incident, three men rang the doorbell of a Folie Court home wearing reflective jackets and pants, hard hats, gloves and face masks. They said they were checking on a gas leak, police said.

When the home's caregiver, a 35-year-old man, answered the door, the three intruders forced their way in, brandishing a small black handgun, and threw the homeowner, a 69-year-old woman, to the floor, police said. The trio escaped with an undetermined amount of property and remained at large.

Their unannounced appearance at the front door should have raised numerous red flags.

Wendy Frigeria, a spokeswoman for National Grid Long Island, said that workers will respond if there is a gas emergency like an outage, but they will bring several large branded trucks to the area.

All National Grid employees also wear branded photo ID badges, and “would never” force themselves into a home, she said.

“If someone requesting entry into your home or business does not show an ID card, don’t let that person in,” Frigeria said.

If a resident has any apprehension or doubts, do not open the door and call 911 and National Grid, at 800-930-5003, both Hickman and Frigeria stressed. 

“This is a horrible incident that happened, and we hope the victims are recovering,” said Frigeria. “We encourage customers to be aware of impostors.”