Who can take a sunrise and sprinkle it with dew? The candy man, of course, and apparently he's out to take your laptops, too.

That's right, San Luis Obispo, the notorious "candy man" is back and in action, and rumors are resurfacing about a candy salesman who is actually using the solicitation scheme as a cover for his real goal: to scope out houses that are ripe for future robberies.

The San Luis Obispo Police Department has received several calls recently about individuals selling candy in residential neighborhoods, according to Capt. Jeff Smith, but Smith said the sales have not been linked to a single person or any actual robberies. Police, according to Smith, are not sure where that rumor started.

"At this time there is not evidence to connect candy sales to robberies," he wrote in a statement to New Times.

Police attempted to squelch similar gossip in early 2018, when a number of community members, particularly Cal Poly students, raised concerns about an alleged robber using door-to-door candy sales to look inside homes and check for valuables. Although some Cal Poly students and San Luis Obispo residents claimed in online chat groups and on social media that laptops and other goods had been stolen immediately after a visit from the "candy man," police said then that there were no reported thefts or crimes that could be linked back to candy sales supporting those allegations.

But word of mouth is powerful, and after neighborhoods near Cal Poly received a visit from individuals selling candy in mid-September, San Luis Property Management sent notices to its tenants in an apartment complex on Mill Street warning them to avoid "the candy man."

"Please be aware of this person," the notice reads, "and do not allow them to enter your apartment for any reason to help eliminate any chance of this situation from happening."

While the SLO Police Department is not currently looking for suspects related to the candy sales, Capt. Smith said he's encouraging community members to use good judgment when purchasing products from strangers and to ensure their homes are well secured.

"When individuals see something is suspicious within their neighborhood," Smith wrote, "we always encourage them to contact the police department to report what they have observed."