Joliet Police Arrested Charles Franz Twice On Same Day

JOLIET, IL - About the only positive aspect of Monday for Charles Franz was that he got plenty of exercise, although it involved running from the Joliet Police Department. The 18-year-old man with a Plainfield mailing address in the 1800 block of Hampton Court, now finds himself in the Will County Jail, where running isn't an option. First, Franz was charged with theft and criminal trespass to a motor vehicle. Later on, Franz found himself being jailed on felony charges of residential burglary, attempted residential burglary and criminal damage to property.

On Tuesday morning, Joliet's Deputy Chief of Police Ed Gregory explained the unusual set of events that resulted in Franz being picked up by Joliet police on two separate occasions Monday afternoon. First, Franz was caught breaking into a 55-year-old woman's car at 12:15 p.m. over at the LA Fitness on Route 59. Franz was getting ready to steal cash and a necklace from inside her car, Gregory said. "He asked her not to call the police," Gregory said. The woman called 911 anyway. Franz did not want to be caught so he ran from the LA Fitness parking lot. Eventually, Joliet police tracked him down in the 1800 block of Hampton Court.

At that time, Franz was only charged with misdemeanor offenses based on the limited value of the theft. Therefore, he was released on an I-bond. Joliet police, however, had an intuition that Franz might still be up to no good, so detectives kept him under surveillance Monday afternoon, unbeknownst to him.

By mid-afternoon, Franz showed up at a home in the 25000 block of Caton Farm Road. Police say he went up to the house to peer inside the windows and he examined all the outside doors.

Detectives "saw him kick in a door, a service door," Gregory said. Once inside, Franz began to steal various items, Gregory said.

It turns out the homeowner happened to be upstairs, Gregory said.

The Joliet police sprang into action. Franz, once again, decided to bolt. He ran out the door and tried to out run the Joliet police. He was unsuccessful.

At 2:39 p.m. Joliet officers slapped the teenager in handcuffs and put him in the back of their squad car.

He was driven back downtown and booked into the Will County jail.

Franz remains in custody and was expected to go before a Will County judge on Tuesday afternoon to have a bond hearing.

Mugshot of Charles Franz via Will County Sheriff's Department