Joliet Burglar Targeted City's West Side, Sold Off Handguns He Stole From Parked Cars: Cops

JOLIET, IL — The Joliet Police Department issued a press advisory on Thursday afternoon, announcing the capture of 28-year-old Keenan Curl, who comes from the 500 block of East Benton Street. The number of car burglaries connected to Curl is substantial, his arrest report noted.

According to Joliet police spokesman Dwayne English, back on February 7, at 7:38 p.m., the officers responded to reports of burglaries to motor vehicles in the 900 block of North Hickory Street. In one incident, a bag was taken from an unlocked Kia Optima parked in a west alley.

Video footage showed a man exiting the vehicle with the bag and walking northbound through the alley, the police advised.

During the investigation, officers responded to a different burglary involving an unlocked Chevrolet Malibu in the same area. The owner discovered the burglary after receiving a bank notification for a declined fraudulent transaction. Someone had used the victim’s stolen credit cards.

As JPD's investigation progressed, officers identified Keenan Curl as their prime suspect. Curl had been encountered earlier in the evening of Feb. 7 and in possession of credit cards belonging to other people before officers were aware of the vehicle burglaries. Those cards were recovered as part of an investigation, and Curl was released at that time, English indicated.

After officers responded to the reported vehicle burglaries, Curl was located near Bridge Street and North Broadway Street shortly after 8 p.m. and taken into custody. He was processed at the Joliet Police Department for burglary to a motor vehicle and possession of stolen property and released on a notice to appear in court.

However, further investigation linked Curl to at least three additional motor vehicle burglaries, English pointed out.

These included a burglary on or about January 8, 2026, involving a Kia K4 in the 600 block of Virginia Street in which a wallet was taken and a credit card later used; a burglary of an unlocked Chrysler Pacifica in the 800 block of North Hickory Street on February 1, 2026, in which a handgun was taken; and a burglary of an unlocked Honda Civic in the 800 block of North Hickory Street on the evening of February 10, 2026, in which another handgun was taken.

Finally, on Wednesday, around 11:30 a.m., Curl was taken back into custody for the additional burglaries by the Joliet Police Department Tactical Unit in the 300 block of North Bluff Street.

"Curl was transported to the Joliet Police Department, where he was interviewed and admitted to committing multiple motor vehicle burglaries. He also indicated that he sold the handguns taken during the offenses," English advised.

Curl was subsequently charged with three counts of burglary to a motor vehicle, unlawful use of a credit card, two counts of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, two counts of unlawful use or possession of a weapon by a felon, two counts of possession of a stolen firearm, two counts of unlawful sale of a firearm and two counts of violation of pre-trial release.

As it turns out, Curl was on parole at the time of the offenses, and a parole warrant was issued by the Illinois Department of Corrections. Curl was processed at the Joliet Police Department and transferred to the Will County Adult Detention Facility.

"The Joliet Police Department reminds residents to always lock their vehicles and remove valuables when leaving them unattended, even for short periods of time. Unlocked vehicles and visible belongings can make cars an easy target for theft. Taking a few simple precautions can significantly reduce the risk of becoming a victim of vehicle burglary," English emphasized.