Riverside police have charged three people – an adult and two juveniles – in connection with a spree of car break-ins and the theft of a vehicle on the east side of the village over a period of three days last week.

Director of Public Safety Matthew Buckley confirmed that police charged a 28-year-old Berwyn man with criminal trespass to a motor vehicle. One of the boys, whose ages were not immediately available, was charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle and burglary to a motor vehicle, while the other was charged with criminal trespass and burglary to a motor vehicle.

 At least five break-ins, all targeting unlocked vehicles, were reported as happening during the overnight hours on Aug. 9-10. In addition, a resident of the 200 block of Shenstone Road called police on the morning of Aug. 10 to report that his 2011 Kia, which was parked in the driveway behind the house, was missing.

The victim told police that the vehicle was likely left unlocked and had the keys stored inside. On Aug. 11, the Illinois State Police informed Riverside police that the vehicle had been recovered on the side of the road at the I-290 off ramp just east of Harlem Avenue.

Police later obtained security camera video showing two of the alleged offenders pull into the parking lot with the stolen vehicle at E-Z- Pawn, 7361 25th St. in North Riverside, at about 9:15 a.m. on Aug. 10. While there, one of the offenders allegedly pawned a stolen Canon camera in exchange for cash.

Additional security camera video showed the stolen vehicle using the drive-thru at McDonald’s at 7031 Ogden Ave. in Berwyn at about 4:45 a.m. on Aug. 11.

On Aug. 11 at about 10:45 p.m., police responded to the 300 block of Shenstone Road after receiving a report of three people, clad in all black, going in and out of driveways. 

An officer reported observing three people with a flashlight in the driveway of a home in the 400 block of Shenstone Road. As the officer exited his squad vehicle, the three ran into the backyard of a Shenstone Road home.

Police formed a perimeter and located two of the alleged offenders in a backyard. The third was located in an alley between the 3200 blocks of Harlem and Maple avenues in Berwyn.

Police said they believed the trio was responsible for at least six vehicle burglaries that night as well, and that the Illinois State Police Crime Lab was processing evidence collected. Additional charges may follow.

Burglary to a motor vehicle

North Riverside police arrested two adults and three juveniles, charging four of them with felonies, after they reportedly broke into a pickup truck belonging to a car dealership that was parked in the remote parking structure at the North Riverside Park Mall, 7501 Cermak Road, on the night of Aug. 8.

Daniel Garcia, 18, of McHenry, and Andrew Diaz, 18, of Cicero, were charged with burglary to a motor vehicle as were two juveniles. A third juvenile was charged with attempted burglary.

Police reported that the alleged offenders drove in two vehicles to the upper level of the parking structure on the south end of the mall’s parking lot, which is used by Hawk Ford of Forest Park to store vehicles.

Officers blocked their way out and apprehended all five at the scene. Security camera video reportedly showed four of the offenders enter a Dodge Ram pickup, which apparently was unlocked, before exiting the vehicle when police arrived.

DUI crash

Riverside police charged a 47-year-old Chicago man with driving under the influence after he alleged crashed his 2003 Honda SUV into the back end of a 2017 Infiniti that was waiting to turn left from southbound Harlem Avenue onto 30th Street on Aug. 15 at about 1:45 p.m.

The impact of the crash had knocked loose the rear passenger side wheel from the Infiniti’s axle, said police, but neither the driver of the Honda nor the 45-year-old Riverside woman driving the Infiniti sustained injuries.

The driver of the Honda reportedly told police he had a “couple of beers” before getting behind the wheel. He also reportedly failed field sobriety tests at the scene, leading to his arrest.

These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield police departments, Aug. 8-15 and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Unless otherwise indicated, anybody named in these reports has only been charged with a crime. These cases have not been adjudicated.

— Compiled by Bob Uphues