Car Burglar Held At Gunpoint By Neighborhood Watchman: JPD

JOLIET, IL — While 18-year-old Ruby Street Javier Morales was breaking into cars during the middle of the night, one of the neighbors went outside, pointed a gun at him and kept him detained until patrol officers arrived, Joliet police announced.

As a result of the neighbor's actions, Joliet police sped to the 400 block of Buell Avenue and took Morales into custody. He's in the Will County Jail charged with attempted motor vehicle theft, burglary to motor vehicle possession of burglary tools and criminal damage to property.

The burglaries on the city's near west side were taking place around 2:20 a.m. Tuesday.

"Officers learned that a resident discovered Morales inside their neighbor’s vehicle and held Morales at gunpoint until officers arrived," police spokesman Dwayne English notified Patch. "Further investigation revealed that as the resident was on his front porch, he observed that it appeared that someone with a flashlight was inside his neighbor’s vehicle that was parked on the street."

English said the neighbor on Buell Avenue went outside and saw Morales inside the vehicle, wearing gloves, so he did not leave any fingerprints behind.

"Upon search of Morales, officers recovered a flathead screwdriver and noted that the flashlight on Morales’ phone was activated," English announced. "Upon inspecting the interior of the vehicle, officers discovered that the steering column was stripped, and the ignition appeared to have been tampered with."

Morales lives in the 100 block of Ruby Street, and his bail was set at $30,000. He remained in custody on Wednesday evening.

The 400 block of Joliet's Buell Avenue continues to be the site of several major incidents involving police activity.

Last October, the Joliet Police Department charged a 40-year-old resident Ivan McGrone with two counts of home invasion in connection with an Oct. 15 crime that left another man injured inside his apartment in the 400 block of Buell Avenue.

Last June, the gray Honda CRV belonging to missing Crest Hill resident Wendy Gessing was discovered abandoned along the street in the 400 block of Buell Avenue. To this day, Gessing's body has never been found.

The area where Gessing's car was found is along a dead-end section of Buell Avenue about a half block from Western Avenue. Several neighbors on Buell Avenue told Joliet Patch there is a known drug house within walking distance of where the car was found.