Crime & Safety

Township Woman Held Down, Robbed During 'Gypsy' Home Invasion

Police say three men took jewelry, a safe and more after holding down a 76-year-old New Lenox Township resident while they robbed her.

A 76-year-old New Lenox Township woman was held down and robbed by three men during a home invasion last week. The three were nabbed in less than an hour.

The trio of accused robbers showed up shortly after noon on Thursday, Nov. 8, at a home in the 400 block of Hickory Road. Kathy Hoffmeyer, Will County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman, said a simple knock on the front door allowed them to gain entry.

As soon as the woman opened the door, the three forced their way inside. One pushed her backward on the couch and held her down while the other two robbed the house. The intruders stole a total of 13 rings and a safe, containing about $700 and personal papers, Hoffmeyer said.

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"They took three bracelets right off her wrist," she said.

The victim was "shaken up, but she was OK," said Hoffmeyer. She had her wits about her and gathered a description of their car—a white SUV. 

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The victim's call to 911 stirred an unintentional but successful joint operation between Will County Sheriff's Department and Illinois State Police.

Hoffmeyer said it just happened that while Will County Police were in the process of interviewing the victim, members of the Illinois Police Task Force were in Hickory Hills looking to arrest a man who was wanted on a warrant in Ohio. It turns out that their suspect was identified as one among the trio of New Lenox intruders.

According to Hoffmeyer, the carload of intruders pulled into the driveway, spotted police and fled on foot. She said they were running toward an apartment complex, tossing the stolen pieces of jewelry and money as they fled. 

Police quickly caught up with the three, and they were taken to Will County Jail. During the interrogation, one of the three told detectives that they "left the apartment to go and do what Gypsies do."

The inference, Hoffmeyer said, is related to activities such as burglaries and robberies. 

Police arrested Walter Miller, 54, of Hickory Hills, who was charged with home invasion. He is being held without bond due to his outstanding warrant. Hoffmeyer had no details about the Ohio warrant.

The other two: Tony Miller, 39, and Sonny Miller, 19, both of Chicago, were charged with armed home invasion, according to the sheriff's department.

Hoffmeyer said while the three share the same last name, she was uncertain about the precise relationship.  

Will County Sheriff's Police have all three in custody. The younger two are being held on a $500,000 bond each.

Police recovered the stolen items, and the victim identified the three men in a photo lineup. 

The same three men were also arrested in June in connection with a Homewood home repair scam that was repoted by Homewood-Flossmoor Patch.

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Police blotter information is provided by the New Lenox Police Department. Charges and the Will County Sheriff's Department 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. If you have information about an unsolved crime, call the Investigations Unit at 815-462-6100.


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