Man Threatens to Burn Wilmette Woman’s House Down ‘With Her and the Kids in It’

Last week: Marinara Matching Victim's Name Thrown Through Car Windshield

Robbery, Assault and Telephone Harassment

A Wilmette woman living in the 300 block of Skokie Court told police that a man whom she knew showed up to her residence, choked her and stole her gold bracelet and chain before leaving. According to the police report, the woman returned home from work at 10:15 p.m. on Oct. 15 and was unlocking her front door when her the man emerged from bushes near her residence.

Police said the man told the woman, “You can scream if you want to.” When the victim asked the man what he wanted, he reportedly put his hands around her neck and began choking her. The victim was able to force the man away, but not before he removed her gold tennis bracelet and cross pendant. As the man left the scene, police said he turned to the victim and said, “I’m not done.”

The victim told police that over the previous three to four weeks, she had received approximately 30 expletive-laced voicemail messages from the man. In one message, said the victim, the man threatened to “burn her house down with her and the kids in it.” The woman also showed police text messages she had received from the man since the attack, in which the man attached pictures of the stolen jewelry and told the woman that if she wanted the items back she “needed to come get it.” The police investigation into this matter is ongoing.

Burglary to a Motor Vehicle

An unknown offender stole a $200 Apple iPod and $15 to $40 cash from a car parked in the 300 block of Gregory Avenue sometime between 5 p.m. on Oct. 25 and 9 a.m. on Oct. 26.

A coin purse, loose change and 20 anti-depressant pills were reported stolen from two vehicles parked in the 3500 block of Forest Avenue sometime between 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 26 and 10:30 a.m. the following day. Both vehicles belonged to the same victim. No damage was reported. During the police investigation, a second victim flagged down officers to report that her car had also been broken into on the previous night, but she did not think anything had been stolen.

Disorderly Conduct

The owner of a Wilmette business located in the 400 block of Skokie Avenue  told police that he received a threatening phone call at 6:12 p.m. on Oct. 24 from a man who threatened to kill him. According to the police report, the caller, who spoke in Mongolian, initially questioned the owner about a business transaction before telling the owner, “Close your business of I’ll kill you.” The owner told police that he believes the caller was a friend of a former business partner whom the owner had previously accused of stealing $25,000 from the business. The call came from a blocked phone number.

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