2 Cars Stolen, 2 Recovered in First Week of January: Oak Park Police

Car theft was a common theme in Oak Park during the first week of the new year, bringing two reported thefts, one attempt and two recovered vehicles.

Around 7:30 a.m. Jan. 6, a man entered a resident’s unlocked Volvo XC90, police reported. The car was running at the time with the keys in the ignition and was parked in front of the 900 block of Belleforte Avenue when the man, described as a black male between 17 and 20 years old and around 5-foot-8, got into the car and fled. He was last seen driving eastbound down Berkshire.

The resident’s estimated loss of the 2004 model car is $5,000.

In a pricier case, a River Forest resident who left their unlocked and unattended 2014 Chevrolet Equinox lost several belongings, including that car, when a thief entered their running car and drove away with it the morning of Jan. 6.

The car was stolen between 11:05 a.m. and 11:14 a.m. that morning in the 1100 block of Pleasant Street, according to police reports. A Cricket cell phone, black duffel bag, U.S. Bank checkbook and pay stubs were lost with the car, racking up a total loss of $18,050.

In addition to the above cases, an unsuccessful attempt was also recorded in Oak Park last week.

Between the afternoon of Jan. 5 and morning of Jan. 6, someone tried to steal a red 1999 Ford F-150 from the 200 block of South Austin Boulevard, officers said. Police don’t know how the offender gained access to the car, but once they did, police said they believe the offender tried to tamper with the wiring behind the dashboard to start the car and drive it away. The car’s owner lost $150 to damages.

Two cars that had previously been reported as stolen were also recovered last week by police.

The first, a red Kia Sportage SUV that was reported stolen on Jan. 5 around 10:26 a.m., was found in the 7600 block of South Greenwood in Chicago. The second was the Chevy Equinox that was reported as stolen above — it was found Jan. 7 in the 3100 block of West Fillmore in Chicago.

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