BURGLARY CREW RANSACKS ELDERLY MAN’S HOME; RESTRAINED WITH LARGE ITEMS BARRICADING HIM IN HIS BASEMENT
Police are seeking the public’s assistance to apprehend a group of men who burglarized an elderly victim in an unincorporated area of the south suburb of Oak Forest.
On August 30th, at approximately 12:30 in the afternoon, the 84-year-old victim returned to his home in the 5200 block of West 147th Street to find a gray GMC van parked behind his residence, which is not easily seen from the street. When he entered the home, a man who appeared to be Hispanic pushed him onto the stairs leading to the second level. The victim was ordered to stay on the stairs while the man, and several other offenders, rummaged through the home, which was already in disarray. The offenders asked the victim where the “drugs and money” were kept. The victim responded that he had no drugs or money in the home, but the men continued to search. After the offenders found a small amount of cash, they took the victim down to the basement and barricaded him in with several large items. The victim was told not to move. Once he heard the back door close, the victim was able to free himself and went upstairs to try and call 911, but the phone had been ripped from the wall. The victim then went to a neighbor’s house and called the police.
Cook County Sheriff’s Police detectives canvassed the area in an attempt to locate potential witnesses, with negative results. Evidence technicians photographed the crime scene and searched for fingerprints or items left behind by the offenders. Detectives believe this burglary crew will target others and are asking anyone with information to call 708-865-4896.
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