Woman accused of stealing from police officer's home

A police car in the driveway and a sergeant in the next room didn't deter a Mundelein woman from stealing a large bottle of prescription painkillers last weekend, police said.

Robin L. Bluestein, 51, is facing several charges after police said she admitted to stealing a large bottle of Tylenol 3 with Codeine pills from the kitchen of Lake County sheriff's police Sgt. Curt Gregory.

Bluestein, of 612 E. Allanson Road, was arrested after trying to return the bottle -- which was missing several pills and was missing its label -- Saturday and charged with possession of a controlled substance, unlawful acquisition of a controlled substance and theft, a Vernon Hills police report shows.

Bluestein was called to Gregory's home last week to give him a physical for a life insurance policy he was taking out. When Gregory went in another room for part of the test, Bluestein was standing in the dining room, but was in the kitchen when he returned, Gregory said.

The police sergeant found it a little strange that she was in a different room, but, "you want to trust someone who comes into your house in a professional capacity; you don't want to believe (they were) doing anything improper in your home," he said.

A few days later, Gregory's wife, a two-time cancer survivor, went to take a pill after feeling some pain and noticed the pills were missing.

Gregory knew Bluestein took them because she was the only other one in the house, so he called her and told her he knew what she did, he said.

"My concern is that if she would steal from me in my home knowing that I'm a police officer, who else has she been doing this to?" Gregory said.

Bluestein parked next to the Lake County sheriff's police squad car in the driveway when she got to Gregory's house and even talked to him about being a police officer, he said.

"If she would do that to me, I am concerned that (she may have stolen from) people who may not have the ability to pay for medications. Some of the stuff is expensive," Gregory said.

Portamedic, the company who employed Bluestein, called Gregory and told him that the woman was terminated from their company, he said.

If anyone else has had a similar experience with Bluestein, Gregory urged them to call their local police department and report it.

"How could you even do that, I just don't get it," he said.

Information on Bluestein's next court date was not available late Tuesday.