Ruse Burglary Gang Targets Elderly Homeowner: Cops

BURBANK, IL — Men posing as “water department” employees ripped off an elderly homeowner in what Burbank police said was a ruse burglary. The homeowner was not injured and never saw the men before.

Around 2:35 p.m. March 25, police said the elderly homeowner in the 8200 block of New England Ave., Burbank, was taking out the trash when he was approached by two men who “emerged from an unknown type vehicle.” Police said the men told homeowner they worked for the water department and needed to get into the basement to “inspect the water heater. The homeowner remained in the bathroom with one of the men running the water while the other was in the basement. A third man was apparently in a bedroom while all this was happening, police said. After the men left, the homeowner noticed money and jewelry missing from his home.

The men were 30 to 40 years old, around 5-feet-8-inches tall, 180 to 200 pounds, and had slight beards. The were wearing green jackets and each had a small tattoo with red ink on their cheeks. Neighbors in the area noticed a “dirty gray van” parked in the victim’s driveway during the time of the incident. The van was last seen traveling westbound on 82nd Street toward Newland Avenue.

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the Burbank Police Department at 708-924-7300.