COOK COUNTY, IL – Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart is warning the public about ruse burglaries following an incident that occurred Monday in unincorporated Norwood Park Township.
At approximately 5:15 p.m. on Aug. 8, Sheriff’s Police responded to a call of a residential burglary in the 7900 block of Bryn Mawr Avenue. Upon arrival, they learned that one of the five unidentified offenders knocked on the backdoor of an elderly couple’s home, led them to the backyard, and told them about an alleged issue with their drinking water.
While they were distracted by the first offender, multiple accomplices entered the home through the front door in search of valuables. The victims spotted one of the intruders and ran after him. The two offenders got into a vehicle described as a dark gray, late model KIA Sorento SUV, with another male inside, and fled. Two other offenders were also seen running away from the residence.
The victims, a 68-year-old woman and a 71-year-old man, reported missing jewelry and cash.
The offenders were described as males, wearing black colored medical grade face masks and sunglasses.
Detectives believe the couple were victims of a ruse entry burglary, in which an offender distracts victims by pretending to be a worker or a neighbor. While the victims are distracted, another offender or multiple offenders enter the home to take valuables.
Sheriff’s Police offer the following safety tips to help avoid becoming a victim of these types of burglaries:
- Talk through the door.
- Do not let anyone you are not expecting into your home.
- If the person says he or she is a utility employee, call that agency to verify that an employee has legitimate business at your home. Do not use the phone number the person at the door gives you.
- Note any vehicle information – license plate, make, and model of the vehicle.
- Call 911 immediately if you encounter anyone suspicious.
Anyone with information regarding this burglary is asked to call Sheriff’s Police detectives at 708-865-4896.
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