Berwyn Police Blotter
Gypsy scam: victims may have been followed home from bank
April 25, 2008, 3:02 PM
A woman in the 3800 block of Maple told police a man in a red and grey short-sleeved shirt came to her house saying he worked for the “Chicago water department” and needed to test her water. She let him inside, and he led her to the basement, but ran upstairs at one point, leaving the homeowner behind. Later, the woman, said, she realized she was missing $700. She said the visitor was a male white, 35, short to medium-length brown hair, and slim. Neighbors said they saw two vehicles nearby during the incident: a Dodge minivan, and a small silver pickup truck. Police were able to retrieve fingerprints, and the victim helped create a composite image. The victim thought she may have been followed after she made a bank withdrawal.
Soon after the first incident, police heard from a man in the 3800 block of Clinton. The man said he was sitting in his back yard alone when a stranger entered the yard through the front gate. The stranger said he “needed to check the water in the house,” then walked into the house through the unlocked side door. Later, the man and his wife realized they were missing jewelry valued at $1,624. The man had been at the same bank as the previous victim, at around the same time.
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