Residents Help Police Nab Car Burglar: Oak Forest Police

OAK FOREST, IL — Oak Forest police were able to track down and arrest a car burglar thanks to some vigilant residents, police said Friday.

Romel Matthews, 26, of the 15600 block of Madison Avenue in Dolton, was charged with two counts of resisting arrest and one count of burglary, after police found him hiding in weeds following a foot chase.

On Wednesday, Sept. 14, Oak Forest police responded to calls of a car burglar. The suspect evaded officers initially, but with the help of some alert Oak Forest residents, officers found him in the 15400 block of Oak Park Avenue, Chief Jason Reid said.

When officers attempted to take Matthews into custody, he pulled away and led police on a foot chase, police said. Another resident alerted officers to which way the suspect had fled, and he was found hiding in tall weeds in the 15500 block of Oak Park Avenue, police said.

“We are extremely grateful to the residents who assisted us in locating the suspect,” said Police Chief Jason Reid. “We also commend our officers for an outstanding job in taking the suspect into custody and preventing more residents from becoming victims.”