Large Speaker, Leaf Blower Among Items Stolen in String of Garage Burglaries

Aurora police are investigating a spate of recent burglaries to cars and garages that have occurred within close proximity to each other on the city’s near east side.

In the late night hours of June 24 into the early morning hours of June 25, burglaries were reported in the 300 block of North Root Street, 600 block of College Avenue, the 700 blocks of Kane Street and Columbia Street and the 1200 block of Grove Street.

Five of the garage burglaries on Columbia Street and Grove Street occurred at homes that are next door to each other. The only stolen items on Columbia were a large music speaker taken from one garage and a woman’s driver’s license taken from a vehicle parked in a second garage.

A third garage also showed evidence of being broken into but nothing was apparently missing. The total loss was estimated to be $650. Two of the three garages showed signs of forced entry while the third was unlocked.

A witness who woke to a loud noise around 4:30 a.m. on June 25 told police he looked out his window and saw two men loading the large speaker that was reported stolen into an SUV. He described both suspects as Hispanic with black hair and wearing the same type of Khaki shorts and identical “reddish” T-shirts. One man was 6’0”, 170 pounds and the other was 5’9” and 200 pounds. He described the vehicle as a full-size SUV which was gray or green in color.

On Grove Street, two successive garages showed signs of forced entry. A leaf blower valued at $600 was taken from one; while nothing appeared to be missing from the other. However, an estimated $500 in damage was estimated from the break-in of the second garage.

A similar described suspect from the Columbia garage break-in was reported being seen around 4:10 a.m. June 25, in the 300 block of Root Street. A man reported he saw another man, described as 6’0” and 200 pounds, “stumble” from near a vehicle parked in his driveway and enter a burgundy SUV that was parked on Root.

The vehicle, which was similar to a Chevy Tahoe or GMC Yukon and driven by another suspect who the man could not describe, then went northbound on Root Street. When the man went to investigate, he discovered the driver’s side window to his vehicle smashed out. The only item missing was a cable valued at $30 which was found at the end of his driveway.

Lastly, a car stereo was stolen between midnight and 3:45 p.m. June 25, from an unlocked vehicle parked in the 700 block of Kane Street. There is no suspect information from the burglary. The loss was estimated at $300.

• $4,790 worth of power tools taken between the evening hours of June 23 and 6 a.m. June 24 from an apparent unlocked van parked in the 600 block of La Fayette Street.
• Cologne and cash worth $400 stolen between 6 p.m. June 23 and 7 a.m. June 24 from an unlocked vehicle parked in a driveway in the 200 block of North Avenue.
• A purse and its contents valued at $270 taken from an apparent unlocked vehicle parked in a driveway in the 300 block of Spencer Street between 7:30 p.m. June 21 and 6:30 a.m. June 22.

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.