Crime Reports: Couple Foils Attempted Ruse Burglary

Tinley Park Police reports, Oct. 30-Nov. 10 • Rosary, pearl necklace and medication taken from home • Diamond ring and 4 designer purses go missing from newly inherited home.

TUESDAY, OCT. 30 An Italian rosary, a pearl necklace, two bottles of prescription medication and a heavy glass vase with $500 in it was taken from a house in the 6400 block of Terrace Drive, according to a police report. The owner was out bowling between 2 and 6 p.m., and when he returned home, he found a garage window shattered and a rear door that was locked when he left now unlocked, the report stated. Witnesses told police they saw a white man in his 30s knocking on doors in the neighborhood, the report stated. One witness said the man came to his door trying to sell meat, the report continued. The man was described as being between 5-foot-9 and 5-foot-10 in height, stocky build, with facial hair. He was wearing a stocking cap and a …

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Know About This Failed Ruse Burglary?

A pair of ruse burglars thought there was only resident home when they targeted a house on 177th Place last week. They were wrong.

Ruse Burglars Fail to Fool Local Homeowners

A pair of ruse burglars thought there was only resident home when they targeted a house on 177th Place last week. They were wrong.

Police said a pair of likely ruse burglars were surprised last week when they thought they had successfully distracted the only resident who was home, only to find a second one inside. A couple living in the 7100 block of 177th Place in Tinley Park called police around 1:50 p.m. June 13 just after someone tried to break into their home using a ruse burglary method. The strategy typically includes one burglar distracting a home's resident so an accomplice can enter the home and steal his or her belongings. Police said a man living at the home answered the door around 1:30 p.m. and was greeted by a middle-aged man who said he recently bought the house down the block. "(The resident) was not aware of any recent home sales on the block of …

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Ruse Burglars Take $180,000 in Cash, Jewelry From Brookside Glen Home

Tinley Park police say ruse burglars are likely to blame for the recent ransacking of a local home, where stashes of cash and gold turned up missing last week.

A family living in the 19400 block of Brookside Glen Drive in Tinley Park called police last week after realizing that their safes, dressers and filing cabinets had been gutted of valuables. The family, which owns a business in Calumet City, kept some of the money earned through the company in various "hiding spots" in their home, police said. When one of the homeowners noticed on May 8 that a brown paper bag containing $1,000 cash was missing from a dresser drawer, he began to check on his other valuables, according to the police report.  Sign up to receive Tinley Park Patch breaking news alerts. He then discovered that more than $8,000 cash was missing from a black filing cabinet and $125,000 worth of gold jewelry disappeared from a safe…

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Warm Weather Beckons Ruse Burglars in the Southland

When temperatures increase, so, too, do the number of ruse burglaries. Get safety tips for seniors and their family members to protect them from becoming victims.

An 84-year-old woman is greeted at her home by a man who said he wants to repair a fence in her backyard. He bought the neighboring home for his parents, he tells her, and the two residences share the mangled boundary. The woman takes the man, who introduces himself as "John Lopez," to the backyard. Meanwhile, at least one accomplice barges into the home, rifles through closets and grabs anything—and everything—of value. In the backyard, John's cell phone buzzes. He leaves abrubtly, telling the woman he'll return later in the day. But he never shows. By the time the woman realizes friendly "John Lopez" was up to no good, her wedding rings and other expensive jewelry are gone.  Sign up to receive the Tinley Park Patch newsletter and …

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Carrie Frillman

7:01 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012

Thanks for sharing, Russ. These things happen all too often. The best way to combat ruse-type crimes is to educate our loved ones.   more ›

Ruse Burglars Strike on 71st Street

Police said a ruse burglar stole from the home of a local senior citizen last month by distracting her in her backyard. She gave officers a description of the man after she realized someone had ransacked her home.

An elderly woman called the cops last month after she realized something didn't add up regarding a visitor she'd gotten earlier that day who said he wanted to repair a fence in her backyard. The 84-year-old realized she was right when she found jewelry missing from her home in the 17200 block of South 71st Avenue in Tinley Park. The woman was approached by a man around 4 p.m. Feb. 22 at her home, she told police. She described him as tall, heavyset and in his mid 40s. The man was also wearing a hat, she said, and introduced himself as "John Lopez." He told her he bought the house right behind hers for his parents, according to the report. "The subject stated that he needed to fix the fence and he asked if he could go into her yard," the …

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Residents Report Yet Another Ruse Burglary Attempt in Tinley

Police said a man claiming he was with the water department tried stealing from a local 84-year-old this week.

Tinley Park police are investigating a Monday afternoon incident that they believe was an attempt at a ruse burglary in the 6300 block of Arcadia Drive. An 84-year-old homeowner there told police Tuesday that around 3:30 p.m. the day before, a man showed up at his door and claimed he was with the Village of Tinley Park's "water department," according to the report. "The unknown subject entered the residence and stated they were working on the water main outside ... and needed to check the water inside," the report said. The man then walked into the victim's laundry room and turned on the faucet, police said. At that point, he made a phone call and told the victim to keep an eye on the water while he checked another pipe in an adjoining …

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Man With 'Big Belly' Tries his Hand at a Ruse Burglary

A man impersonated a village employee in the second incident of its kind this week. Police believe he was trying to burglarize a local home.

A heavyset man who identified himself as "Mr. Jeffers from the Tinley Park Public Works Department" greeted a resident at her front door Tuesday and told her he wanted to check her water. Since no one by that name works for the village and no one was sent that day to the resident's home, police are considering the incident a ruse burglary attempt, according to the report. Plus, it came one day after a 90-year-old local man was scammed in a similar way. The resident allowed the portly man into the home and had him follow her to the basement, where he ran the water in the sink for 30 seconds, police said. "The subject stated that if there is a problem with the water main in the future, he would be back," the report said. The woman said …

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Village Employee Impostor Distracts 90-year-old During Burglary

Someone posing as a village employee stole jewelry from a senior citizen this week. It's the second such incident since summertime.

A local 90-year-old man fell victim to a ruse burglar this week after a man who identified himself as a Village of Tinley Park Public Works employee distracted him in his backyard. The incident was the second since late August that involved someone impersonating a village employee. 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 Tinley Park police 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. …

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Thief Targets Tinley 87-year-old in Ruse Burglary

Police believe a local elderly woman was the victim of a late August ruse burglary in which jewelry was stolen from her home.

An 87-year-old Tinley Park woman recently reported a ruse burglary that she believes took place at the end of August, about a week and a half before she noticed at about $10,000 worth of jewelry missing from her home. Tinley Park police were dispatched Sept. 5 to the woman's house in the 8900 block of Bluebird Drive. A 12-karat gold charm bracelet — it had about 30 charms on it and was appraised in 2006 at $905 — and a 14-karat white gold engagement ring worth $9,000 were stolen, according to the police report. The woman told police that around Aug. 20, a stranger came to her house and said he'd bought the home next door. He told her he had to do some electrical work in her backyard and the two spent 10 to 15 minutes chatting on her back …

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