Police: Car Burglars Caught Red-Handed

Evanston police arrested two suspected car burglars after plainclothes officers caught them checking car door handles on Greenleaf Street late Thursday night. 

Jeremy D. Booker, 20, of the 4700 block of North Drake Avenue in Chicago, and Isaac Pineda, 19, of the 4500 block of North Keystone Avenue in Chicago, were both charged with burglary, a felony offense. Pineda was also charged with two counts of theft, a misdemeanor, police said.

Plainclothes officers on bicycle patrol noticed that a car had been ransacked in the 1100 block of Greenleaf Street around 2 a.m. Thursday, July 24, and began searching the area. They noticed Booker and Pineda pulling on door handles, and when they stopped the two men, one of them tossed a GPS device into the bushes nearby, police said.

All told, police believe the two men burglarized six cars in the 1000 and 1100 block of Dewey Avenue and in the 700 block of Forest Avenue. Police were able to identify the owners of four GPS units and return them, but they believe a third person involved in the burglaries is still at large, and may have other stolen items.

“The vehicles targeted in these incidents were left unlocked by their vehicle owners, and although locking a vehicle cannot fully prevent a vehicle break-in from occurring, it does greatly reduce the risk of becoming a victim,” police said in a release. “The Evanston Police Department highly encourages vehicle owners to lock their doors, secure vehicle windows in the fully closed position, remove valuables from your vehicle and park in well lighted areas if possible. Taking these necessary steps helps reduce incidents of theft and someone entering your vehicle to remove personal items.”