Man Arrested in Valley Village Suspected of Preying on Elderly

Los Angeles police today asked for the public's help in finding additional victims of a man who allegedly preyed on the elderly, bilking them out of thousands of dollars.

Eldad Syton targeted elderly victims throughout the city and county, targeting and charging thousands of dollars for extermination and unnecessary repairs on their homes, police said.

Posing behind several businesses -- "911 Air Care," "American Pest Control," "American Roof Cleaning," "USA Pest Control" and "Pacific Air Care" -- Syton got thousands of dollars without providing any proof that the work he said he had performed was needed or that he was licensed to do it, police said.

In one case, Syton persuaded an 84-year-old man suffering from dementia and his wife to apply for a reverse mortgage on their home, police said. Proceeds from the loan would have paid Syton an additional $50,000 after he had already gotten $50,000 for his initial order.

Syton continually returned to the home demanding more money and threatening to foreclose on their property if they did not pay him more.

Syton was arrested in the 12000 block of Emelita Street in Valley Village on Wednesday and booked for theft from elder or dependent adults. His bail was set at $250,000.

Anyone with additional information on the case was asked to call Detective Marjan Mobasser of the LAPD's Van Nuys Division at (818) 374-0053 or Detective Dionne Watts at (818) 374-0052.

--City News Service