Newspaper delivery person tips cops about car burglars
By Dave Gathman dgathman@stmedianetwork.com March 1, 2013 2:30PM
Marco Morales
Updated: April 5, 2013 6:14AM
ELGIN — Two men were charged with car burglary thanks to a tip from an early-morning newspaper delivery person, police reported Friday.
Police Lt. Dan O’Shea said that shortly before 4 a.m. Thursday a newspaper delivery person telephoned 911 to report that there were two people acting suspiciously in Woodbridge subdivision near College Green Drive, west of Randall Road.
He said officers arrived in the area and set up a perimeter to keep the suspicious people from escaping. Shortly thereafter, O’Shea said, they spotted two young men who started running but were caught by officers a few blocks away.
The lieutenant said investigators believe the two men had been checking the doors of parked vehicles, entering any they found unlocked and stealing valuables they found inside. Officers canvassed the neighborhood and located several vehicle owners who reported having had items stolen.
The suspects were identified as 17-year-old Esteban Perez and 18-year-old Marco Morales, both residents of the 1900 block of South Street in Elgin. After reviewing the facts of the case with the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office, police charged each suspect with six counts of burglary, a Class 2 felony. They were being held Friday in the Elgin city jail, awaiting a bond court appearance in front of a Kane County judge Saturday morning.
O’Shea encouraged anyone with additional information to contact Detective Mark Whaley at 847-289-2697.
Police Chief Swoboda commended the efforts of the alert newspaper delivery person for seeing suspicious behavior and contacting the police to investigate it.
Police officials have been conducting a public-education campaign this winter called “If You Like It, Lock It.” They note that most of the parked vehicles burglarized in Elgin last year probably had been left unlocked.
