Attempted 'Ruse' Burglary In Burr Ridge

BURR RIDGE, IL — A man who recently showed up at the door of a Burr Ridge house wanted to test the home's water before the man's construction company was supposedly going to shut off the water and electricity, according to a police report. The resident refused to let the man inside and tested the water himself.

While the resident was testing the water, the man stayed outside and was talking to someone over a walkie-talkie, the report said. The resident said the man left quickly in a black SUV, and the resident does not believe the car had any registration. The man was described as possibly Hispanic, in his mid-30s, and wearing a mask and construction vest. The incident happened about 3 p.m. May 9 in the 10S500 block of Madison Street.

Bridgeview and Frankfort recently had similar incidents, known as "ruse" burglaries, where suspects used the same method to get inside of houses, Burr Ridge police said. A ruse burglary is when a person, usually posing as a construction or utility worker, distracts a homeowner while another person steals items of value in a home.