Crime & Safety
Elmhurst Police Warn Locals Of Ruse Scams After Resident Finds Intruder In Their Home
Nobody was hurt.
Elmhurst police are investigating a ruse-style “gypsy” scam that took place in the 200 block of South Poplar Avenue last week.
According to a release sent out by the department, a resident’s caretaker noticed an intruder in the resident’s home at 2:09 p.m. Feb 24. When she shouted at the man, she said, he ran out of the house and drove away in a car. She described the suspect as a white or Hispanic male in his 30’s with short black hair and dark clothing. She approximated he stood around 6 foot tall.
While the man was inside of the resident’s home, the resident was reportedly being distracted by an accomplice in the scheme — a 5-foot-7 Hispanic man weighing around 200 pounds — who had knocked on the resident’s door and engaged them in a conversation about possible yard work.
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While the resident was distracted, the second suspect snuck into the home to look for valuables.
Police said this type of scam is known as a “gypsy scam” — “a residential burglary where a subject engages the homeowner in a conversation that the homeowner needs home repair work and, as the homeowner steps outside with the subject, another enters the residence looking for valuables,” according to the police's release.
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Any suspicious incidents like these should be immediately reported to police. Anyone with information about the above case is encouraged to call the Elmhurst Police Department at 630-530-3050.
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