Windows Shattered in Recent Car Burglaries

Yesterday, Geneva Patch reminded to make sure to lock your cars and keep valuables out of them, following reports of three vehicle break-ins at the Commons.

Today, we're saying, "What the heck?" Because two more blotter items show what lengths some criminals will go to get inside a vehicle.

Of the two incidents below, one seems to be motivated by the value of the items inside the car. The other isn't so clear because the damage is around $1,000 and what was taken appears to be a notebook binder and petty cash.

Car Burglary—Someone broke the rear passenger window and took about $385 worth of items from a Ford Explorer parked in the driveway of a home in the 400 block of Anderson Boulevard sometime between 10:30 p.m. Dec. 9 and 8:38 a.m. Dec. 10, reports said. Items taken were a Garmin GPS valued at $150, a Black & Decker tookbox valued at $35 and miscellaneous tools valued at $200. The damage to the rear passenger window was estimated at $200.

Car Burglary—Someone shattered the driver’s-side window and took a three-ring binder and about $5 in cash from a Toyota Camry parked on the street in the 300 block of Maple Lane sometime between 1 a.m. and 2:58 a.m. Dec. 11, reports said.

The backstory, as they say in the movies, is interesting.

A Geneva police officer saw a green backpack in the middle of the road in the 1500 block of West State Street. He took the backpack to the Police Department and found some pay stubs inside, which allowed police to identify the address of the owner.

When the officer arrived at the Maple Lane address, he found the Camry with the trunk open. The front driver’s-side window had been shattered with a brick, reports said. In addition to the shattered window, there was a dent and paint damage to the driver’s-side door. The estimated cost of damages and lost articles was $1,000.

If you have information on this or any other crime in Geneva, please contact the Geneva Police Department at (630) 232-4736