ComEd Imposter Enters Home, $3,500 in Jewelry, Coins Disappear: Police Blotter

Two men, one pretending to be from ComEd, gained access to a northwest side Downers Grove home where $3,530 worth of jewelry and coins went missing, police said.

The homeowner reported the burglary at 1:38 p.m. March 5, right after it occurred. The items taken included two gold bracelets worth $150 and $200, a $30 silver necklace, six gold coins worth $2,000, a $500 ruby or diamond ring and miscellaneous jewelry worth $650.

The man claiming that he worked for ComEd just showed up at the homeowner's door, located on the 3500 block of Saratoga Avenue.

"(The homeowner) stated that the subject told him that there was a fire down the street and that he needed to come in to check his electrical outlets," said the police report for this incident.

The man had a large build and wore a reflective vest, but did not have on any identification showing he worked for ComEd. The homeowner let the man in the house, the report said.

The man went to a front room and checked an outlet, then he went into the kitchen and checked an outlet there. At the time the man unplugged the telephone and coffeemaker.

The homeowner and his wife then followed the man to the back patio door. The man opened the patio blinds to show the couple where the trucks would work in the backyard. During this entire time, the man was talking on his phone.

The homeowner then looked down the hallway leading to the bedrooms and saw a different man, shorter in height, walk down the hallway away from the bedrooms. The two men left the house and drove away in a white sport-utility vehicle.

The wife went to the back bedroom and noticed several items of jewelry missing. She also noticed that the back patio door was unlocked and that there were fresh footprints in the snow leading up to the door.

Police contacted ComEd and confirmed they did not have any crews working in the area. The homeowners will sign complaints in this incident.

Police Blotter information is provided by local law enforcement agencies. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions taken on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.

Looking for more Downers Grove police news?

• Former Downers Grove South Basketball Star Among 3 Arrested in Robbery

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

There are plenty of ways to keep up on Downers Grove news:

• Sign up for our daily email newsletter

• Like us on Facebook for a slightly different take