Downtown Highland Park Hit By Overnight Crime Spree

HIGHLAND PARK, IL - Downtown Highland Park was hit by an overnight crime spree that included burglaries to motor vehicles, vehicle thefts and one residential burglary last week.

Several incidents were reported between 1 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 16 in the 300 block of Central Avenue and 400 block of Park Avenue, according to a news release from the city.

In nearly every instance, the vehicles targeted were unlocked and in the two cases of vehicle thefts, keys were left inside the vehicles. In the residential burglary, the front door of the residence was left unsecure.

The city is warning residents that other North Shore communities have been targeted by criminals in recent months due to the “low risk, high reward” factor. In most cases, the victims have left either their homes or cars unlocked with valuables left vulnerable to theft.

“In the past, there have been a few instances where the offenders would enter an unlocked vehicle and use a garage door opener to enter a garage and steal anything of value,” the city wrote. “The residential burglary that took place on November 16 was the first incident where the offenders entered a home and stole items while the victims were asleep.”