Western Springs Ruse Burglary Victim Older: Cops

WESTERN SPRINGS, IL — Victims of ruse burglaries tend to be older, and that was the case lately in Western Springs.

A number of such burglaries have taken place in the village in the last year. Western Springs Patch obtained the police report from one earlier this month.

About noon Dec. 16, a 74-year-old woman was outside her garage in the 3900 block of Ellington Avenue when a black pickup truck pulled into her driveway, according to a Western Springs police report.

A man got out of the driver's seat, saying he worked for ComEd and was there to trim bushes and trees in the woman's back yard, even though he was not wearing any ComEd clothing or identification tags, police said. No one else appeared to be in the car, she told police.

The man asked the woman to go into the back yard, so he could point out what was being trimmed, according to a police report. They were there for about eight to 10 minutes before the woman told the man she was cold and wanted to go inside, police said.

The man told the woman he would be back at 3 p.m. and then abruptly left, the police said.

When the woman returned to the front of the house, the man got into the back seat of the truck, police said. Two people were in the front seat.

The woman went back into her house and noticed a few drawers open, and she closed them, thinking she had left them open. A little while later, she saw a bedroom door open. She said she was certain she had not opened it, police said.

The woman then went through her belongings and found $140 missing from several places in her kitchen, police said. Jewelry also was taken. Police were called about 40 minutes after the man left.

The man was described as white, 5 feet, 10 inches tall, having a slim build, and wearing a brown jacket and brown baseball cap.

A ruse burglary is when one person distracts the homeowner while another enters the house and commits theft.

Here are other examples of ruse burglaries this year in Western Springs:

How A Ruse Burglary Happened In Western Springs

Ruse Burglary Attempted In Western Springs

Fake Water Workers Burglarize Western Springs House: Cops