Village Employee Impostor Distracts 90-year-old During Burglary

A local 90-year-old man fell victim to a ruse burglar this week after a man who identified himself as a Public Works employee distracted him in his backyard.

The incident was the . The senior citizen was greeted by the man at his home in the 6900 block of 176th Street around 10 a.m. Monday, according to the report.

"The subject said they needed to do some sewer work in (the victim's) backyard to prevent flooding," according to the report. "The subject walked with (the victim) into the backyard and behind the garage to show him where the alleged problem was."

The two chatted for about 10 minutes, according to the report. The man then left in a red, four-door sedan. The victim said he believed the impostor was the passenger in the car.

The elderly man said two rings—a YMCA 30-year ring with three small diamonds, as well as a gold ring with a blue sapphire and diamonds—were missing from his bedroom. The victim estimated their combined value to be around $1,500, he said in the report.

The victim described the suspect as a white man who was about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed around 190 pounds. He guessed his age to be about 35 and said he had no glasses or facial hair.

Village officials sent a community alert this week asking residents to be on alert, . It urges homeowners to demand to see identification of people claiming to be village or utility workers, refuse to accompany strangers to their backyards and to call the police when something seems suspicious.

If you have information about this burglary, please call at 708-532-9111.

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