Bolingbrook Teen Arrested for Riverside Car Burglaries

By SCOTT VIAU (Patch Staff)

A 17-year-old Bolingbrook boy has been arrested on charges of burglary to a motor vehicle after he tried to return stolen merchandise for cash, according to a release from the Riverside Police Department.

Riverside police were first notified of a burglary to a motor vehicle at 11:05 p.m. Aug. 9. The victim stated that he was at a basketball event for men who attend a local church and had parked his car in the church parking lot at around 8 p.m. When he came out sometime after 9:30 p.m., he discovered that his car was broken into and items were missing. Riverside Police subsequently had an additional report filed of the same kind of burglary on Aug. 10.

Property stolen in the two burglaries included an iPad, clothing and other miscellaneous items such as tollway change, lighters and other small items. The victim who had clothes stolen told the detectives that he had purchased the items at the Express store in North Riverside Mall. After he reported the burglary to the police department he notified the store of the theft. He asked them to contact him or the police should someone come in and attempt to return the items.

The teen did go into the Express store in North Riverside in an attempt to return the clothes for cash but the store would not make the exchange and he left without getting any cash. Riverside detectives were able to recover video evidence of the offender. In addition, the clerk had asked the teen for a phone number to verify that he should be given the cash back and what credit card he used. The teen gave his family’s number which eventually led Riverside Police to arrest him.

During the time that followed, Riverside Police attempted to pick up the offender at his last known address in Bolingbrook. Relatives told investigators that the teen had been staying on the 100 block of East Quincy with his grandmother and they should try that address. When detectives spoke to the grandmother, she said she had sent the child back home to Bolingbrook. Over the next week, Riverside detectives tried to pick up the subject at his Bolingbrook address on a daily basis. At 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18, the mother came into the police department with her juvenile son and surrendered him on the burglary charge.

Riverside also recovered the stolen iPad and some other small items from the teen. Riverside Police charged a male juvenile, 17, of Bolingbrook with two counts of burglary to a motor vehicle, both class 4 felonies. Riverside Police stated that both victims in this case played a vital role in the recovery of the stolen property and the ultimate arrest.