Jewelry Stolen During 'Diversion Burglary,' Police Say

Gold and diamond jewelry were taken from an elderly Kinnelon woman’s Boonton Avenue home during what police are calling a “diversion burglary.”

At approximately 2:30 p.m. Tuesday a man knocked on the woman’s door stating he was from the county, police said in a news release. The man told the woman he was cutting trees and branches near her backyard, which borders a cemetery.

He asked the 88-year-old woman to follow him to her backyard to show her the trees; they took about 20 minutes and went back into the house, authorities said.

The woman told police she left the front door locked but left the house from a side door that was left open, police said.

After speaking with neighbors about the incident, the victim discovered that a few pieces of jewelry were missing: a 14-karat gold chain, two white gold diamond dinner rings with clusters of diamond in them, police said.

Police said the man is Hispanic, in his late 40s, 5 feet 7 inches to 6 feet tall and spoke with a slight accent. He wore a bright yellow construction vest, a brown baseball hat. He drove a cream colored mini van and parked it in the victim’s driveway.

Anyone with information should call Detective Sgt. David Crouthamel at 973-838-5400.