A scheme put in place by a set of burglars foiled a homeowner in the 500 block of Geneva Avenue on Monday, March 19.

A Hispanic male posing as a construction worker knocked on the door of the victim’s house and introduced himself as a worker fixing the rear wall of the neighbor’s backyard. He said in order to do his work he needed to take a look at the victim’s backyard as well. The victim obliged and followed the man to the rear of his house, leaving his front door unlocked. He stayed back there for about 15 minutes while the man did his work and periodically spoke with another person on his phone.

After the man left, the victim entered his home and discovered that about $650 worth of jewelry had been stolen from the master bedroom. It is believed that an accomplice, possibly the one on the phone, had entered the house through the unlocked front door while the man in the backyard distracted the homeowner, according to Lt. Vander Veen. The false construction worker is described as being heavy set, weighing about 220 pounds, about 66 years old and standing 5 foot 9 inches tall. He was wearing a blue plaid work shirt, tan cargo pants and work boots.