Thieves Go On Car Burglary Spree

Thieves targeted mostly unlocked cars on a stealing spree village-wide, including a car belonging to the former mayor of Oak Lawn.

Twelve thefts have been reported since Aug. 30. The map shows a wide area of cars that were hit.

Thieves grabbed spare change, wallets, purses, briefcases, financial documents and electronics.

Six of the vehicles were unlocked; three the owners weren't sure the cars were locked or not; and two were believed to have been locked but police said there were no signs of forced entry. Only one of the cars had been broken into by force. 

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 15

Thieves grabbed a woman’s purse while she was inside L.A. Fitness at 8812 S. Cicero Ave., sometime before 12:44 p.m. Police noticed the woman driving around the parking lot, who told the cops she had put her purse on the backseat floor. The woman said her car had an electrical issue and was unable to lock the driver’s door. The woman’s purse was stolen, along with $30 and her ID.

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 13

A coffee mug containing $175 in change was removed from a parked car in the 10200 block of South Kenton Avenue sometime before 12:56 p.m. Nothing else in the car appeared disturbed. The woman thinks she locked her car. Police said there were no signs of forced entry.

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 11

Two spare tires were stolen in separate incidents in the Advocate Christ Medical Center garage at 4440 W. 95th St. A passerby reported that a Toyota RAV 4 was missing its spare tire and the cover laying on the ground around 10:50 p.m. Hospital security staff received a second report of a spare tire also stolen from a Toyota RAV 4 between 6 and 9 p.m.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8

A 50-year-old man said he left his briefcase in his car with the windows rolled while he ran into Smashburger to grab some lunch around 1:40 p.m. When he returned his briefcase was gone. Later that evening, around 9:30 p.m., he received a phone call from a blocked number. The caller said he found the briefcase at a gas station at 159th Street and Halsted Avenue, and would return it for $700. The man said he wasn’t going to pay that much and the caller hung up. There was nothing of value in the briefcase except for paperwork with the man’s bank account number, reports said.

A 47-year-old woman parked her unlocked Ford in her driveway overnight in the 10400 block of South Linus Lane. The next morning around 10:23 a.m., she discovered that someone had emptied the contents of her glove box onto the floor, removed a Dixie cup contained $2 in loose change. The thief did not take the GPS or a garage door opener from the car.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 7

Thieves entered an unlocked 2010 Volkswagen Jetta in the 5100 block of West 107th St. sometime before 2 p.m. The thieves swiped a wallet containing $80 and a bag of loose change.

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 5

Someone removed items from a 2007 Toyota Camry parked in a driveway in the 5200 of West 109th Street sometime before 3:50 p.m. The owner reported $50 cash taken from the center console. A checkbook was also removed from a briefcase on the front passenger side floor. While police were on the scene, a neighbor said his home security system recorded a small black vehicle pulling in front of the home around 2:51 a.m. The vehicle stopped for approximately seven minutes, while two, young white males approached the neighbor’s driveway. One of them pulled on the neighbor’s car’s door handle, which was locked. The second male was standing on the sidewalk. Both subjects continued walking westbound on foot.

A woman parked her Land Rover in her driveway in the 10900 block of South Cook Avenue the evening of Sept. 4. The next morning around 9:21 a.m. she discovered her glove box open and that several items had been rearranged. Her wallet was taken from the center console along with her ID and credit cards. She doesn’t remember if she locked her car.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3

A 37-year-old woman reported that someone entered her KIA Sedona minivan in the 6900 block of West 96th Street sometime before 3:40 p.m. The thief stole the spare ignition key and approximately $40 in change from the ashtray, along with $20 from a wallet and a bottle of Xanax. The woman told police she was certain that the van was locked because she had several items inside from a trip. The officer did not observe any signs of forced entry. Earlier in the day the woman said her mother noticed a Hispanic male standing near the garage, but thought he was the meter reader. The older woman described the man as wearing a silver safety vest with reflective stripes, and holding a black object in his hand.

A 46-year-old man said he left his car unlocked in a parking lot in the 9700 block of South Karlov Avenue. When he returned to his car around 6:20 a.m., his prescription bottle of 85 Alprazolam had been stolen. The man said he needed the police report to get the prescription filled.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1

Thieves stole two guitars and purse from a 2000 Chrysler Town and Country while the owners were inside dining at Les Brothers, 8705 S. Ridgeland Ave. It wasn’t until the owners arrived home around 2:45 a.m. that they noticed two guitars missing from the back seat, along with the owner’s purse. The owners believe they may have left the doors unlocked. Police said there were no signs of forced entry.

FRIDAY AUGUST 30

A 22-year-old woman parked her car in front of her house in the 9100 block of South Monitor Avenue. Her neighbor reported hearing a car alarm going off and observed the woman’s car door wide open. Police said the driver’s side window had been broken. Thieves grabbed $100 and an iPod.