'Open House Bandits'

Police in Berkeley, Calif., are seeking a man who allegedly steals items from open houses and has also allegedly impersonated a police officer using a stolen badge. The badge reportedly belongs to a retired Santa Barbara, Calif., policeman.

Paul McClung, 30, "has been making the rounds visiting real estate open houses and realty offices in the city of Berkeley, as well as many other cities in the (San Francisco) Bay Area," according to a Berkeley Police Department announcement.

McClung, police alleged, typically is accompanied by a white woman in her 50s and drives a dark blue four-door late-model Jaguar with light-colored interior. The duo, who have been dubbed "Open House Bandits," allegedly claim to be a mother and son who are prospective home buyers seeking to purchase homes for cash.

Police alleged, "While the woman distracts the Realtor with conversation, (the man) prowls the home or office for purses and wallets to steal." McClung was reportedly spotted in open houses in Berkeley on June 16 and June 17.

Police encourage anyone who encounters McClung not to approach him, and instead to call 9-1-1 or (510) 981-5911. Anyone with information about McClung's whereabouts can call (510) 981-5737.

McClung, pictured here (click photo for larger image), is 5-foot-10 with a thin build, brown hair and blue eyes. The identity of the woman who allegedly has accompanied McClung has not been released.

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