Car Thieves Call Joliet Police After Vehicle Breaks Down: Cops

JOLIET, IL — A pair of teenagers suspected of stealing someone's automobile made it a lot easier for Joliet police officers to learn about the crime: they called authorities to notify them that their stolen car broke down along Route 59 on Thursday morning, according to police.

Joliet police arrested 19-year-old Kankakee resident Brian Perkins on charges of possessing a stolen vehicle and booked Perkins into the Will County Jail. His accomplice, a 16-year-old juvenile, faces the same charge. The juvenile was taken to the River Valley Juvenile Center on Joliet's McDonough Street.

According to police, officers responded to a call involving a disabled vehicle in the 2100 block of Route 59, one of the city's busiest roads. The 16-year-old driver called Joliet police to say that he and Perkins stole the car and it broke down, police spokesman Dwayne English noted.

The two were taken into custody and the case involving the stolen vehicle is now being investigated by the Tri-County Auto Theft Task Force, which includes members of the Joliet Police Department.