14 Randall Road Burglaries Under Investigation By Geneva, Batavia Cops

GENEVA, IL — More than a dozen businesses off Randall Road in Geneva and Batavia were burglarized early Wednesday morning, prompting a joint investigation by several local law enforcement agencies.

In Geneva, three of the burglaries happened on the east side of the 1700 block of South Randall Road, five took place on the west side of the street, and another four occurred in Geneva Commons, according to police.

Geneva police said storefront glass was broken in all 12 incidents, and the offenders took as much merchandise as possible before moving on to the next shop.

In Batavia, the glass front doors of two businesses in the 1800 block of Mill Street were damaged, with one "completely shattered," police said.

A Geneva officer on patrol came across a burglarized business in the 1700 block of South Randall Road at 2:22 a.m. Wednesday. Officials said the offenders used an object — possibly a brick or fire extinguisher — to break glass to gain entry.

Around the same time, police received a call regarding a suspicious call in close proximity to the scene of the crime. Batavia officers and the Kane County Sheriff's Office responded in aid and attempted to stop the car believed to be involved.

Batavia officials said the car, a Kia sedan reported stolen, was leaving the area near Mill Street and Randall Road at high speed, but the driver refused to pull over, officials said.

Police ended the pursuit "for safety reasons after vehicle speeds became unreasonable and the occupants of the vehicles began throwing items out of the vehicle," Batavia officials said.

The car was last seen driving east on I-88, according to police.

The burglaries remain under investigation, and an itemized list of stolen goods continues to be compiled, according to police.

Anyone with information about the crimes is asked to contact the Geneva Police Department at 630-232-4736 or the Batavia Police Department at 630-454-2500.

In light of the string of burglaries, police reminded residents to lock their cars and report any suspicious activity to 911.

"The burglaries serve as an important reminder to residents to lock their car doors, since stolen vehicles often are used to commit other crimes," Geneva police said in a community alert.

Officials continued: "When information is conveyed to authorities promptly, police can provide a faster emergency response that may be the key to solving the crime."