The video shows fake DTE employees accused of killing a man and injuring his wife

From the WXYZ web team

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ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. (WXYZ) — Two suspects claiming to be DTE workers killed a homeowner and bound his wife with duct tape at a Rochester Hills home Friday, officials say.

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said this happened on Newcastle Drive near Adams and Dutton streets.

The authorities are looking for the two men. It’s unclear whether they are armed, but the sheriff’s office said they should be considered dangerous.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard says the two men, who had a white pickup truck with a DTE plate, rolled up to the house Thursday night and tried to get in but were denied.

On Friday, officials said the men tried again, claiming they were investigating a gas leak in the area.

Bouchard says the husband went down to the basement with the workers but never came back up. The woman reportedly told officers that the men came upstairs, bound her with duct tape and searched the house for about 20 minutes before leaving the scene.

The woman is currently in hospital recovering.

On Friday afternoon, Bouchard said authorities were investigating the crime scene.

Officials say the 72-year-old victim was a business owner in Wayne County. 7 News Detroit learned he owned gold and glitter jewelry in Hamtramck.

His cause of death was still being determined Friday evening due to the extent of his injuries and the amount of blood found at the scene.

“’A loving guy who owned a business and cared about his neighborhood and community. Shouldn’t have been the goal of that. No one should ever be the target of this,” Bouchard said.

The sheriff said the department believes the incident was targeted.

“It wasn’t a coincidence, they don’t just knock on doors and do that. Our assumption is that they were specifically out to hurt this family and obviously the only connection we’re looking into initially is that they own a business,” Bouchard said. “We will examine every direction and every possible motive.”

Investigators accessed the Ring doorbell video from the victims’ home after working for hours to obtain it while waiting for Amazon or Ring to send it to them. Authorities obtained a search warrant and had the owner’s permission to access the footage, but encountered problems with two-factor authentication.

Investigators eventually asked the family to help the woman get a new cell phone and transfer service to that device to access the video footage.

Bouchard said they also searched the neighborhood for surveillance video.

“When I heard the details of what happened, it was very disturbing,” said Austin Rogers, who grew up opposite the victims.

Rogers’ father was friends with the victim.

“He was a nice guy. He was constantly working in the garden – that’s when I saw him. He always waved and said hello,” Rogers said.

DTE released a statement following the incident:

Our condolences go out to the victims of this terrible and tragic event and we hope that the perpetrators are quickly caught and brought to justice.

It is important to note that before DTE arrives at a customer’s home for a service visit, we make every effort to contact them in advance, either through a call from our call center or via email or SMS.

DTE employees always carry photo ID with them. We encourage our customers to request presentation of identification before allowing access to their property. If customers wish to verify an employee’s identity or confirm that a vehicle is an authorized company vehicle, they should call DTE Customer Service at 800-477-4747 to confirm the validity of the visit.

The company also sent you tips in case someone impersonates a DTE employee and tries to break into your home.

Know your gas provider. Just because DTE supplies your electricity doesn’t mean they also supply your gas. Copycats are not always aware of our service area. Please note that while DTE does not provide residential gas distribution in Rochester Hills, it does operate gas transmission lines in the area.

Before DTE makes a routine visit to your home, we will endeavor to contact you in advance, either by a call from our call center or by email or SMS.

It is very rare that a DTE agent will need to enter your home, but it does happen. DTE will use every opportunity to make you aware of any work to be done at your home and, if possible, contact you in advance to arrange a time for the work to be completed.

Before allowing any person to work for DTE at your home or property, you should consider and do the following: All DTE Electric and DTE Gas employees and contractors carry a photo ID and must present it when asked.

Customers should ask the employee why they are there and, if necessary, call 800-477-4747 to confirm before allowing entry or access to their property. Keep your door locked while on the phone and only speak through a locked screen door if it is necessary to speak to the person.

If an employee/contractor refuses to show identification, the customer should refuse service and call 800-477-4747 to verify that DTE is scheduled to be on-site or at their home.

When it comes to gas service, the only reason a DTE employee needs to enter your home is because your gas meter is indoors. This is often the case in older homes.

Anyone with information about the suspects or the incident, or who has surveillance video, is asked to call the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office at 248-858-4951 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.

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