2 Men Try To Steal Cars From Same Dealership On Same Night, With Mixed Results

EVANSTON, IL — Two cars were reported stolen in Evanston Sunday and one man was arrested in connection with a burglary, but it doesn't look like any of the three incidents are related, police said. At 5:55 a.m. an off-duty police officer reported seeing an open overhead door and hearing a car alarm going off inside the Autobarn car dealership in the 1000 block of Chicago Avenue, according to Evanston Police Communications Coordinator Perry Polinski.

David R. Ramos, 29, of the 1900 block of North Kildare Avenue, Chicago, was sitting inside a Lexus inside the building with key in his possession, officers reported. There were no signs of forced entry to the building and no indication of how Ramos came to get his hands on the key, Polinski said. The car may already have been unlocked, but Ramos was arrested and charged with burglary.

As police reviewed surveillance footage to investigate the incident, they found another man had stolen a car from the same dealership between 4:42 a.m. and 5:02 a.m., according to Polinski. A person described as tall, thin, light complected man in his 20's wearing light-colored clothes was seen on tape entering the dealership through an exterior door, taking the key to a silver 2018 Nissan Versa, opened an overhead door and drove away.

The incidents are both still under investigation but there are no signs that they are related, according to police.

As of Monday afternoon, Ramos was being held at Cook County Jail in lieu of a $50,000 bond ahead of a Nov. 11 court date, according to the Cook County Sheriff's office.

A second vehicle, a blue 2006 Buick Lacrosse, was reported stolen from the 900 block of Mulford Street Sunday morning. It was taken at some point after being parked Saturday at 3 p.m. Polinski said it was not known if it had been left unlocked but the keys were accounted for.

_{Top photo: David Ramos booking photograph, Evanston Autobarn | Evanston PD, Google Street View}