Cops: Fake “repairmen” still burglarizing homes on N. Side

| ABC Garage Repair

Chicago police are again warning about burglars who pose as contractors or city workers to gain access to homes on the North Side. The warning came less than a week after a career burglar was charged with operating a similar scheme in the city.

Police pairs of thieves posing as repairmen have burglarized three homes within a couple of blocks of each other in Lincoln Square. Once the burglars gain access, one offender lures the homeowner to another room while the second offender collects valuables inside the home, police said.

The first incident in this pattern was reported in the 2500 block of West Ainslie around 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 26th. Police said the offenders were a Hispanic man in his 40’s who stands 5’8” tall and has short black hair along with a man of unknown race who stands about 5-feet-tall.

Another case was reported around 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 12th in the 2700 block of West Balmoral, but no offender descriptions were offered by police in connection with this burglary.

Most recently, the ruse was used in the 2600 block of West Carmen at 2:45 p.m. on Jan. 15th. The offenders were described as two white men in their early- to mid-30’s. One stands about 5’6” tall, weighs about 150 pounds, and has short black hair. The other is about 6’1” tall and weighs about 220 pounds, police said.

Police are encouraging residents to not allow anyone into their homes unless they have scheduled an appointment or personally know the individuals.

Anyone with information about these burglaries can contact Area North detectives at 312-744-8263 regarding alert #P19-N-025(CA).
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CWBChicago was created in 2013 by five residents of Wrigleyville and Boystown who had grown disheartened with inaccurate information that was being provided at local Community Policing (CAPS) meetings. Our coverage area has expanded since then to cover Lincoln Park, River North, The Loop, Uptown, and other North Side Areas. But our mission remains unchanged: To provide original public safety reporting with better context and greater detail than mainstream media outlets. Our editorial email address is news@cwbchicago.com