Stolen Cars, Car Burglaries Reported In Frankfort

FRANKFORT, IL -- Several reports of vehicle burglaries and stolen vehicles were made in Frankfort Monday morning, police said. In every case, the car was left unlocked and in the thefts the keys were left inside the vehicles.

The reports were all made in the Lakeview Estates subdivision near 80th Avenue and Laraway Road and the Butternut subdivision near Route 30 just west of Elsner Road, Frankfort Deputy Police Chief Kevin Keegan said. The incidents all occurred overnight from July 23 to July 24, according to Keegan.

In the Lakeview Estates subdivision, two cars were reported stolen and three others were entered and had items stolen. Additionally, Keegan said police recovered a vehicle previously reported stolen from Tinley Park while investigating the vehicle theft reports.

"When they steal cars, they are doing so to commit other crimes," Keegan said. "They'll steal one and leave it somewhere before stealing another."

One of the cars reported stolen from Lakeview Estates was spotted in north suburban Deerfield by police there. A chase ensued from Deerfield to Chicago, where police were unable to keep up with the vehicle. Keegan said he was told Deerfield police initially pulled over the vehicle because the occupants were suspected in a series of crimes there.

Keegan said reports of unlocked vehicles being targeted for burglaries and thefts has become more and more common throughout the Chicago suburbs over the past two years. Just last week, police in Flossmoor released a surveillance image of one of the suspects in similar cases reported there.

"Most towns have had these issues," Keegan said. "It seems to be a problem throughout the Chicago area."

In the Butternut subdivision Monday morning, police responded to a report of one stolen vehicle and two others that were entered. That stolen vehicle has not been spotted anywhere since it was reported stolen.

"In some of these cases, the offenders are juveniles and there's not a whole lot of punishment," Keegan said. "So a lot of them will be back on the street doing the same thing again."

None of the incidents reported Monday morning in Frankfort included a forced entry.