Buffalo Grove woman conned out of $15,000 in cash, jewelry

A 78-year-old Buffalo Grove woman is out $8,000 in cash and $7,000 worth of jewelry after she handed both over to a Florida man who convinced her he won the lottery.

Carlos Figueroa-Jimenez, 27, approached the woman outside Carnicerias Jimenez grocery store, 550 W. Dundee Road at about 1 p.m. on Aug. 6 and said he couldn't claim his $2 million prize because he was an illegal citizen, according to Wheeling Deputy Chief John Teevans.

The woman then went home and got the cash and jewelry. When she returned to the grocery store, Figueroa-Jimenez feigned an illness. Two other men - who haven't been charged - helped Figueroa-Jimenez but convinced the woman to go inside the grocery store to get medicine for him. When she returned, Figueroa-Jimenez had fled the area with the cash and jewelry. Police used a photograph of Figueroa-Jimenez taken by the grocery store's security camera to help track him down.

However, police didn't recover the money and jewelry. Teevans is not sure if she'll get either back.

"She believed she was going to gain some additional money from the deal," Teevans said.

Figueroa-Jimenez was charged with one count of felony theft. He will appear in court Sept. 8 at the Rolling Meadows Courthouse.