Burglars Targeting Seniors in Aurora: Cops

Aurora Police are investigating two residential burglaries and one attempted burglary that have victimized seniors and are believed to have been committed by the same suspects.

The first incident occurred on Oct. 28 at the home of an 81-year-old woman who lives in the 400 block of Northpark Avenue, police said. The woman told police that between noon and 3 p.m., two men knocked on her door and when she opened it, they walked in, telling her they recently performed work on her driveway but overcharged her and wanted to give her some money back. The woman became suspicious and told the men she would have to call her daughter. She then noticed one of the men walking toward the bedroom area of the home. It was at that time that the woman’s son showed up and the two suspects quickly left the home saying they would be back later but they never returned, police said. There were no items missing from the home.

At about 3 p.m. the same day, an 80-year-old woman in the 1300 block of Austin Avenue told police a black pickup truck occupied by two men parked in front of her home. One of the men got out of the vehicle, approached the woman and said her house was in need of various repairs, police said. During the course of their conversation, the man said he needed to see the condition of the floor in her garage and asked her to pull her vehicle out so he could get a better look. It was at that time the woman saw the second man exit the truck. She then went back into her home to retrieve her car keys and when she came back out, the men told her they would return later in the day to make the repairs but they never did, police said. The woman later found a leaf blower worth $180 was missing from her garage.

At about 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 29, an 86-year-old woman in the 500 block of North View Street was approached by a man as she was outside her residence, police said. The man began to make conversation with her, telling her she needed some garage shingles replaced. During the course of the conversation, she noticed another man sitting in a black van parked in her driveway. The first man then walked her back to the garage and showed her the damaged shingles. After agreeing they needed maintenance, the man said he would be back later in the day and left. About an hour later, the woman noticed a bedroom that had been rummaged through and about $5000 in jewelry missing, according to police.

In all three incidents, police believe the victims are approached by the first man who distracts them while the second man enters homes or rooms where valuables are kept and steals them.

The suspects in all three incidents are described as white males, one in his 50s and one in his 30s.

Anyone with information on any of the incidents should call Aurora Police Investigations at (630) 256-5500 or Aurora Area Crime Stoppers at (630) 892-1000. Calls to Crime Stoppers are anonymous and qualify for a cash reward of up to $5000 for information that leads to any arrests. Tips can also be submitted through the Aurora Police Department’s free app available through iTunes, the Android Market, or Amazon App Store. Simply search for “My Police Department”, find the Aurora Police, and download.