KWCH - Kansas News and Weather - Stranger Knocking on Doors Asking for Gas Money

Stranger Knocking on Doors Asking for Gas Money

by Kim Hynes (WICHITA, Kan.)

The door bell rings at midnight, two even four in the morning. When residents in north east Wichita answer the door, there's a woman standing on the porch asking for gas money. It's happened at least ten times over the last few weeks and now police are concerned.

The door bell rang at Traci Pickert's house in Rocky Creek three weeks ago. She answered the door and found a woman dressed in sweat pants and a pony tail asking for money. Pickert says the woman told her she needed to get back Leon Kansas but she had no money for gas.

Pickert called police. As she waited for them to arrive, the woman rang the bell again. This time Pickert's husband went outside. He found the woman in a white four door car with two children inside. He then gave her $20 and told her where the closest gas station was located. Police arrived about 15 minutes after the woman left.

The Pickert's didn't think much of what happened until they learned the same thing happened to other people living in Rocky Creek. Then they heard it happened in other neighborhoods like Kimberly Hills, Turnberry, Lakepoint, Wilderness and Overbrook. "She must be doing this very often, from how many people I've heard have encountered her," Pickert aid.

Besides multiple neighborhoods, there are multiple vehicle descriptions. One a white four door car another a black SUV.  Both have a woman and children saying they ran out of gas. "The police need to find her and she needs to get help. And the kids need help apparently," Pickert said.

Police are looking for her, concerned the woman could become more desperate. They say if you encounter her, don't give her money, call 911 and get a tag number or other descriptions if possible. "Hopefully they can find her and find out why she's doing this."

Many of the neighborhoods got the word out about the woman through neighborhood association email lists and websites. Many who answered the door said the woman seemed very believable and that's why they gave her money.