Heads Up: 11 Vehicle Burglaries — $1,300 of Car Stereos, Cell Phones, Work Keys Stolen
Aurora police are investigating 11 vehicle burglaries that have occurred over recent nights on the city’s West Side.
Police throughout Kane County say car burglaries typically ratchet up this time of year as the weather gets warm, prompting warnings to keep vehicles locked and store valuables someplace other than your car or truck.
The latest incidents occurred between 5:30 p.m. May 31 and 7:30 a.m. June 1 in the 1200 blocks of Morton Avenue and Coventry Place; and in the 1100 block of Nantucket Road. A total of five vehicles were hit, four of which were parked in apartment complex parking lots on Coventry and Nantucket. Contents of all the vehicles were strewn about their interiors and missing items included car stereo face plates, cell phones, and a set of work keys.
Six vehicles were burglarized in similar fashions between 9:30 p.m. May 28 and 12:15 p.m. May 29 in the 2000 block of Bradford Lane and 2100 block of Sandburg Drive. Three of the vehicles were parked on the street and three in driveways. Stolen items included electronics and loose change.
A surveillance camera system in the area did capture one of the burglaries on Bradford Lane being committed by a man who is about 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall and weighs between 120 and 160 pounds. After burglarizing a vehicle, he appears to meet up with what appears to be two other men across the street. There is no further descriptions of the suspects.
The total loss in all of the incidents was estimated to be approximately $1,300.
Although some of the vehicles were unlocked at the time of the burglaries making entry easy, several of them were locked which leads police to believe that the burglars may be armed with door opening tools. They remind residents that locking vehicle doors and windows and stashing anything of value out of sight is still the best way to avoid being victimized.
Anyone with information is asked to call Aurora Police Investigators at 630-256-5500 or Aurora Area Crime Stoppers at (630) 892-1000. Callers to Crime Stoppers are anonymous and qualify for a cash reward of up to $5000 for information that leads to any arrests. Tips can also be submitted through the Aurora Police Department’s free app available through iTunes, the Android Market, or Amazon App Store. Simply search for “My Police Department”, find the Aurora Police, and download.
How to Keep Safe
The Kane County Sheriff’s Office and police departments throughout Kane County issue a lot of car-burglary reminders this time of year.
“Please lock your car doors and conceal valuables due to recent burglaries from unlocked vehicles in the Tri-Cities,” the Geneva Police Department says.
“The majority of these incidents are crimes of opportunity,” said Geneva Police Chief Eric Passarelli. “It only takes a minute to enter an unlocked car and to remove valuables from inside. Please assist us by securing your vehicles.”
Also common as the weather gets nicer are the “smash and grab” vehicle burglaries. In those cases — which happen often at community events, swimming pools, health clubs, shopping malls or any place a lot of cars are parked — burglars smash the windows of vehicles, grab items of value that are in plain sight, and hightail it. GPS devices, cell phones, tablets and laptops, purses and shopping bags are among the items often stolen.
So the rules of thumb to prevent vehicle burglaries are:
(1) Always lock your vehicle.
(2) Don’t leave valuables in your vehicle.
(3) If you must leave valuables in your vehicle, make sure they are not in plain sight. Put them in the trunk or stow them under a car seat, where they won’t spark a young criminal’s fancy.
Anyone who sees suspicious persons or activities occurring in their neighborhoods should call 911. If you’re reporting a car burglary that’s not in progress, the best practice is to call your local law-enforcement agency’s non-emergency number.
