Police Arrest Geneva Teen for Car Burglary—Plus Marijuana Possession, Underage Drinking

A witness's spotting of a car burglary led to an arrest of a Geneva teenager on a number of charges, from burglary and theft to marijuana possession and underage drinking.

Police arrested Jonathan Paul, 19, of Geneva on charges of burglary from a motor vehicle, theft over $500, theft under $500, possession of drug paraphernalia, illegal consumption of alcohol by a minor and possession of cannabis around 5:56 a.m. July 18 in the 600 block of Windett Lane.

A Geneva resident told police he saw Paul enter his vehicle and did not want to press charges because nothing was taken. But he told police he suspected Paul had taken tools from his neighbor’s truck.

The complainant told police he saw Paul carrying tools and “chased Paul” from Windett Lane to the 500 block of Shepherd Lane. The owner of the truck told police that a tool belt filled with hand tools and two tool boxes filled with power and hand tools were missing, according to reports.

Police found Paul in the open garage at his home and immediately saw one of the toolboxes and tool belt. A further search of the residence uncovered the remaining tools. Police also discovered two multicolored pipes and a small cellophane bag containing cannabis inside Paul’s garage.

Patch reports on law enforcement activity in Geneva, using information provided by official agencies. Persons charged with a crime, or issued a citation for violation of a local ordinance, are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If you or a family member are charged with a crime or cited for a violation, and the charge or citation is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify Geneva editor Rick Nagel at rickn@patch.com and we will do follow-up reporting on the case.