Police departments across numerous Chicago suburbs have been warning residents about an ongoing string of car burglaries happening within hours of each other.
The Hinsdale Police Department issued a crime alert Monday warning community members after officers responded to 15 calls last week related to car burglaries that had occured overnight.
Victims reported that between 10 PM on Oct. 11 and 6 AM on Oct. 12 several items had been stolen from vehicles that were left unlocked, parked both in driveways and on the street.
Since the start of this year, Hinsdale, along with other Chicago suburbs, has experienced a spike in stolen automobiles.
All the burglaries have been observed by the Chicago police. Over the summer an investigation suggested many of the vehicles had been used to carry out other serious crimes throughout Chicago. On occasion following the incidents, reports hae been received that unlocked cars were entered and valuables were taken.
Hinsdale police chief Kevin Simpson stressed that it would be too early to assume that the recent incidents are directly related to what happened over the summer time. In Western Springs, similar incidents were reported this week. Simpson said, "It's important to recognize that these are very different crimes and it's too early in the investigation to say that these incidents are somehow related”.
Police said that the officers responded to 12 motor vehicle burglaries, one motor vehicle theft and recovered one stolen vehicle in less than 24 hours.
The thefts happened between 10 PM on Sunday and 7 AM on Monday in the northwest section of the village, particularly in the 3800 and 3900 blocks of Woodland Avenue, Grand Avenue and Lawn Avenue and the 4000 block of Central Avenue.
In each incidents, the thieves entered through an unlocked door and removed loose change, cash, sunglasses and a wallet.
Western Spring Deputy Chief of Police Brian Budds said "there is a strong likelihood that [the Western Spring burglaries] are related to the ones occurring last week in Hinsdale."
Also Read: Brutal Beating of Chicago Police Officer video released
By Prakriti Neogi
