Teens Arrested Over Auto Burglaries, Stolen Car

WILMETTE, IL — Two teens face charges related to a stolen vehicle and car burglaries after they were arrested early Saturday morning, police said. Wilmette police responded to the 2100 block of Thornwood Avenue around 1:30 a.m. for a report of a car alarm going off. When officers arrived, they found that at least five unlocked vehicles on the block had been entered and rummaged through.

A Nissan Murano that had been reported stolen out of Chicago was also found on the same block, according to police. Assisting officers from Kenilworth found three people at 21st Street and Greenwood Avenue, one block south of the crime scene. Kenilworth police took all three into custody without incident under suspicion of involvement in the thefts. Two were 18-year-old Chicago residents and the other was a juvenile.

Martel Payne, 18, of the 1800 block of North Keystone, was one of the two 18-year-old Chicago men. He was charged with one count of burglary to auto and one count of possession of a stolen motor vehicle, according to Wilmette police. Both are class 2 felonies. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news for Wilmette & Kenilworth — or your community. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)

Police filed a petition against the juvenile for one count of burglary to auto and one count of possession of a stolen motor vehicle. The other 18-year-old arrested was released without charges, as the Cook County State's Attorney determined there was insufficient evidence.