Wilmette Police Department issued a Crime Alert on March 16 after seven reports were made of burglaries of unlocked vehicles and garages between March 16 at 5 p.m. and March 17 at 8 a.m.
- 1529 Forest Ave. Unlocked vehicle 15-02739
- 704 Lake Ave. Unlocked vehicle/garage 15-02738
- 1101 Greenwood Ave. Unlocked vehicle/garage 15-02717
- 711 Forest Ave. Unlocked vehicle/garage 15-02735
- 1524 Walnut Ave. Unlocked vehicle/garage 15-02715
- 1121 Greenwood Ave. Unlocked vehicle/garage 15-02719
- 1124 Elmwood Ave. Unlocked vehicle/garage 15-02718
This week’s crime spree is not the first of 2015 in Wilmette. The police also reported the following recent incidences in its police blotter:
Residential Burglary: 2500 Block of Thornwood Avenue
On Wednesday, March 11, between 7:15 and 11:15 a.m., an unknown offender(s) entered a residence in the 2500 block of Thornwood Avenue through an unlocked door. The offender(s) searched the house and took cash and jewelry. A person leaving the area reported that at approximately 7:15 a.m., he saw a greenish black four-door vehicle parked on Cleveland Avenue with a white male driver and white female passenger that he did not recognize. A neighbor told an officer doing a neighborhood canvas that between 8:30 8:40 a.m., she saw an unknown thin, tall man with a light complexion wearing all dark clothes and talking on a cell phone. He was standing on the sidewalk approximately in the middle of the 2500 block of Thornwood Avenue. It did not appear that the subject was taking a child to school.
Car/Residential Burglaries
On Thursday, February 26 at 5:44 AM, Wilmette Officers responded to the area of 6th and Maple for a suspicious subject dressed in all dark clothes and trying car door handles. Responding Officers observed a dome light on in a vehicle parked on 7th Street and a subject, who matched the description, walking in the road. Officers discovered that the subject, a 22-year-old Evanston male resident, had property on him that was later connected to a residential burglary in the 700 block of 9th Street. The police report states that the subject had entered the residence through an unlocked rear door, and that he also had property from four burglaries to vehicles that occurred in 400 block of Washington Ave; 800 block of Greenleaf Ave; 700 block of Lake Ave; and 100 block of Crescent Place. Officers also recovered a key FOB that belonged to the stolen vehicle that occurred during the overnight hours of Sunday, February 22nd in the 900 block of Ashland Avenue. Officers found the stolen vehicle in the 300 block of Washington Avenue. It appears that the subject was using the vehicle to commit additional criminal offenses in Wilmette and possibly other municipalities.
Residential Burglary
On Wednesday, February 25, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., an unknown subject entered the attached garage of a residence in the 600 block of 9th Street through an unlocked service door. The subject took a blue Schwinn Clear Creek (Frontier) mountain bike. The resident had heard a suspicious crash from the garage around 12 p.m.
Attempt Residential Burglary
On Tuesday, February 24 between 9:50 a.m. and 10:11 a.m., an unknown subject attempted to gain entry into a residence in the 1500 block of Highland Avenue by prying a rear door and rear window. The subject was unable to gain entry.
Residential Burglary Arrests
On Friday, February 13, the manager of the Community Recreation Center reported that the suspect in a recently reported theft was back. Officers stopped the suspect, a 21-year-old Wilmette resident, and another subject with him. Further investigation identified them as offenders in three thefts at the Michigan Shores Club in addition to a theft at the Community Recreation Center. The police blotter states that the 21-year-old subject also committed an unreported residential burglary in the 2900 block of Old Glenview Road. He entered the residence through an unlocked rear patio door taking an iPad.
Auto Burglaries
Between 8 p.m.on Monday, March 9 and 8 a.m. on Tuesday, March 10, an unknown subject(s) entered an unlocked vehicle that was parked on the street in the 1100 block of Elmwood Avenue. The subject(s) took a purse that was visible on the rear passenger floorboard.
On Thursday, March 12 between 6:30 p.m. and 6:34 p.m, a person saw three unknown male subjects walking in the alley in the 300 block of 3rd St. When one of the subjects entered an unlocked car, the person called the police. The subjects were gone when the police arrived. The car owner was located and said that nothing was missing from the vehicle.
Auto Burglary Alert
A local police department reported that they have taken several burglaries to vehicles belonging to parents that are dropping children off at school or visiting the school. The burglaries are occurring between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.. The offenders are targeting vehicles with visible purses or other valuables.
IRS Scam Awareness
This week, the Wilmette Police took four IRS tax scam reports. The IRS has advised that they have been receiving numerous reports of various IRS tax scams. One resident received a letter supposedly from an IRS collection unit that stated he owed money. The letter was determined to be a fraudulent letter. Two residents received letters from the IRS questioning their tax returns. They had not filed their tax returns. It was determined an unknown offender had used their social security numbers to file fraudulent tax returns. One resident received a letter requesting additional information for the tax return that was filed. However, the resident had not filed a tax return.
Senior “Grandson” Scam
On Friday, February 27 between 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., an elderly resident in the 500 block of Ridge Road received a phone call from a subject stating he was her grandson. The caller stated he had been arrested and needed her to send $1900.00 dollars by Western Union to bail him out. The subject told her to go to (2) separate Walgreens to have the money sent to him in the Dominican Republic. The victim was in the process of sending the first Western Union when the tellers at the Walgreens advised her to call the police because this was probably a scam. Margaret confirmed her grandson was okay and not in Dominican Republic.
Fraud & Scam Seminar
On Thursday, March 26 between 1 and 3 p.m., there is a free Frauds and Scams Seminar at College of DuPage that will cover numerous scams that target senior citizens. The seminar is open to the public. Registration is by phone (630)942-3427 or email [email protected]
AgeOptions Program
Another resource is the AgeOptions organization. This organization has a “Don’t Be a Target of Healthcare Fraud” brochure. You can get additional educational resources at www.illinoissmp.org. They also will do presentations from 5 to 30 minutes. You can call (800) 699-9043 to schedule a presentation.
