Naperville Burglary Suspect Dressed As Doctor 'Looks Kind Of Ridiculous'
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Police in the western suburbs are looking for a phony physician.
A Naperville dentist caught a person pretending to be a doctor on camera breaking into her office.
CBS 2's Steven Graves reports, the owner thinks she knows what the burglar was after.
She said this person disguised themselves, maybe even cross-dressed, to possibly get their hands on items that the pandemic has made very valuable.
At first glance, it looks like a lost and locked out health care worker. But what's caught on camera reveals what police call a barefoot burglar.
With white shoes in hand, what appears to be a woman, stands guard at the empty Naper Dental Center two weeks ago. Soon, a switchblade comes out, but nothing happens. That's where a second camera picks up at another door.
This time, a successful break-in, as the owner gets an alert from the alarm system.
"At first, [I thought] oh, this is a really weird mistake," said Doctor Angela Planer. "What is that person doing at my practice and why are they there?"
The doctor said she first knew something was off because of the person's appearance.
"What I would call a costume. They were wearing a wig, a doctor's coat. And when you look at the stature of the person, it doesn't all fit together," she said. "Just looks kind of ridiculous."
A disguise, she said, helped the person pass by a busy farmers market outside the building. But Naperville police want the phony physician caught.
Even if video later shows him or her quickly check out of the place empty handed after spotting a camera.
The real doctor worries this might have hit her business hard. What she calls a possible attempt to cash in on some profitable pandemic items.
"It wouldn't be unusual for someone dressed like a doctor or nurse to walk out with big boxes of masks," Venegoni said. "PPE costs have gone up exponentially."
But now, add the costs of more locks on each door and additional safety measures here, it's an expensive adjustment for some peace of mind.
The doctor said she just got cameras about two years ago. Someone broke in back then and they took dental equipment.
Naperville police had no updates on the case.