SCRANTON -- A water company worker is accused of abusing his position to burglarize a home.
Police say what looked like official business certainly wasn't.
You often hear warnings about burglars posing as utility workers to get into a home, but on Wednesday in Scranton, a legitimate water company worker was arrested for burglary.
Neighbors on Wintermantle Avenue say they saw a Pennsylvania American Water van pull up early Wednesday afternoon and didn't think anything of it. They figured their neighbor was having his water fixed.
But that's not what happened. Police say the Pennsylvania American Water Company worker broke in through the back door and the homeowner caught him in the act.
After working an overnight shift, Matt Harding settled down for an afternoon nap on his couch. The front door and the windows of his home on Wintermantle Avenue were open and a screen door was unlocked.
After a few hours he got up.
"And I looked over and there's a guy there. I jumped, startled, said, 'What are you doing?!' Harding recalled. "(I) said, 'What are you doing in my house?' He said he's from the water company, and I said, 'Yeah, you're from the water company.' So I get a hold of him and call 911.
A Pennsylvania American Water Company van, a real one, was outside.
The man inside Harding's home is a Pennsylvania American Water employee who was dispatched to Harding's address.
"You're always being told beware of impostors from utility companies and here it is, it's the real water company breaking into my house."
One neighbor, who didn't want to give his name, says he thought something was odd when he saw the worker go into the house.
“Looked like he stuck a credit card in the door and swiped up, which I guess unlatched the door and then he proceeded inside.”
Harding says his back door was locked and says the water company employee broke in through there, even though the front door was open.
Harding caught him rifling through a pile of tools in his kitchen.
Police arrived and took the employee away in cuffs. His van stayed for a while until other Pennsylvania American Workers came to pick it up. Inside was a handwritten list of addresses with the one on Wintermantle written last.
"The fact that I was asleep on my couch has me so uneasy. It's such an unsettling feeling. This is a quiet neighborhood. There's never any type of crime or anything," Harding added.
Police say if you are suspicious of a utility worker in your neighborhood, there are things you can do.
“If you're leery about that please call the utility company, the police department, we might know if there's something going on down the block that we could put your mind at ease that yes they are there and it's a legitimate call,” said Lt. Leonard Namiotka with Scranton Police.
We reached out to Pennsylvania American Water for comment. They issued this statement:
"We have been advised of the incident in Scranton involving one of our employees. We are investigating the situation and will fully cooperate with the Scranton Police. At this time, we will withhold further comment until the investigations are completed."
Scranton police tell us they plan to charge the man with burglary.