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Westchester police nab four men in alleged ruse burglary
Sam Ely
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Updated: August 6, 2012 6:21AM
A call from an alert neighbor led to the arrests last week of four men in connection with a suspected ruse burglary.
Four Chicago men are accused of posing as home repairmen in an attempt to burglarize the home of an 83-year-old woman in the 10200 block of Kent. Police received a call about suspicious behavior at the home at 11:49 a.m. June 25. When they arrived, four men fled on foot. They were soon chased down by Westchester police, assisted by Hillside and Broadview officers.
Lt. Steve Stabosz said Ronald Ristich, 54, of 719 S. Aberdeen, Chicago, told the Westchester resident he was repairing a home next door and asked for permission to repair a cracked sidewalk in front of the elderly woman’s home. When she agreed, he entered the home to get water, in an alleged attempt to burglarize the home, Stabosz said.
Ristich, along with Sam Ely, 45, of 5526 N. Sayre, Robert Ely, 42, of 6922 W. Talcott, and Frank Ely, 67, of 6922 W. Talcott, face charges of residential burglary, possession of burglary tools, resisting arrest, trespassing, soliciting without a license and no business permit.
“These four subjects prey on defenseless senior citizens by posing as home repairmen,” said Westchester Police Chief April Padalik. “They lure their unsuspecting victim to one end of their residence while the others sneak into their homes and take their jewelry, money, and any other valuables. They get away with their crime because the victim often doesn’t realize they have lost anything until hours or days later.”
Stabosz said the men, who are all out on bail, are being investigated in connection with similar crimes in and around Westchester.
Westchester police remind all citizens to be alert in their neighborhoods and to report any and all suspicious individuals immediately to their local police.
“We thank the resident who called it in,” Stabosz said.
