PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Police are searching for a suspect who impersonated a city worker and stole a man’s safe containing a $25,000 coin collection and his wife’s ashes.

The incident occurred on Friday, January 25 on the 9500 block of Walley Road.

According to police, a man with a Hispanic accent knocked on the door of a 71-year-old’s home around 9:30 a.m., saying he needed to check the wires behind the house.

The suspect allegedly kept the victim occupied for about 30 minutes while “checking his water pipes” in the back of the house before telling the victim he needed to get paperwork from his vehicle.

Police say when the victim entered his home his front door, which he had locked, was open.

Authorities say during a search of his home, the victim found that his large, dark green, metal safe was missing.

The safe contained $4,000, a $25,000 coin collection, the deed to the victim’s property, title to the victim’s vehicle, insurance paperwork, and the ashes of the victim’s deceased wife.

The suspect has been described as an unshaven, white male with a medium to heavy build. He was wearing a three-quarters length dark coat with light dress pants. The vehicle he used has been described as a late-model, silver minivan and may be a Chrysler.

Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or 215-686-3153.

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