Mapping it Out: August Vehicle Break-ins, Damage

Between Aug. 1 and Sept. 2, 13 cases of burglary and/or damage to vehicles were reported to . Seven of those instances were exclusively damage while the remaining six included thefts, and sometimes damage.

This past month's numbers were staggeringly lower than July's—there were 40 fewer such reports, to be exact. But July statistics were inflated because of an evening of vandalism July 7 in  that spanned four streets—167th Place, Grissom Drive, and 82nd and 80th avenues—and left 27 vehicles heavily damaged.

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Whether burglars strike vehicles in residents' driveways or those parked outside local shopping malls and in workout center lots, they are most often looking for a quick smash-n-grab theft, police officers said.

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Fitness center parking lots are often targeted because thieves know that when people work out, they don't take their valuables with them,  Cmndr. Steve Vaccaro has said.

The best defense against burglary to your vehicle is simple: Lock your doors.

Here are a few other pointers from law enforcement officials:

1. When away from home, park in well-lit, busy areas of parking lots.
2. Take all valuables out of your car. Put packages and other items in the trunk. Don't leave change, CDs, cell phones and other items in plain view to tempt would-be thieves.
3. If you park your car in your driveway when at home, don't leave a garage door opener or house keys in the car and don't forget to lock the doors.
4. Be alert for suspicious activity in parking lots and in your neighborhood and call the police department if you observe anything out of the ordinary.
5. Call 911 to report any suspicious or unusual activity. Be prepared to provide vehicle information like the color, make, model, license plate and suspect descriptions including gender, race, and clothing.

The following is a list of vehicle break-ins reported in  between Aug. 1 and Sept. 2. They coincide with the accompanying map, which plots the crime for you.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 2

• Police said someone slashed three tires on a BMW that was parked between 5:10 p.m. and 10:20 p.m. at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre, 19100 S. Ridgeland Ave. 

• A man living in the 17300 block of 69th Avenue said that around 7:50 a.m., he discovered that someone had taken a small, decorative fence from his lawn and threw it on the trunk of his vehicle, damaging it.

• Police found pry marks on the doors of a Chevrolet Impala that was parked between 2 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. in the 6800 block of Brementowne Drive. Two windows on the vehicle were also broken out. Nothing was missing, police said. 

FRIDAY, AUG. 31

Sometime between 6 p.m. Aug. 30 and 5:15 a.m. Aug. 31, someone stole at least seven construction tools from a company owned vehicle that was parked in the 17800 block of South 62nd Ave. The tools were valued at around $2,400.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 22

The owner of a 2001 Ford truck discovered his passenger side, rear window shattered around 7 a.m. An officer responding to the scene noticed that the gas cap was open. He also noticed sugar around the opening of the gas cap door, according to the report. The vehicle was damaged between 8 p.m. Aug. 21 and 7 a.m. Aug. 22. It was in the 17800 block of 65th Avenue.

SUNDAY, AUG. 19

A man reported that sometime between 9:30 p.m. Aug. 18 and 5:55 a.m. Aug. 19, someone punctured all four tires of his 2004 Honda in the 7100 block of 166th Street. He told police he believed he knew who was responsible for the damage and they were trying to contact her. They had not been successful doing so as of Aug. 22. 

SATURDAY, AUG. 18

Someone shattered the rear window of a 2013 Hyundai Elantra that was parked between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. in the 7500 block of 174th Street in Tinley Park. 

TUESDAY, AUG. 7

A wallet containing a checkbook and three credit cards, as well as a firefighter ID, were stolen from a vehicle that was parked between 1:30 p.m. Aug. 6 and 10:15 a.m. Aug. 7 in the 16100 block of Bormet Drive. Police said the vehicle may have been unlocked at the time of the theft. 

MONDAY, AUG. 6

Someone shattered the rear window of a maroon Chevrolet Trailblazer that was parked in the 8700 block of West Glenshire Street between 10:30 p.m. Aug. 5 and 12:50 a.m. Aug. 6. 

SATURDAY, AUG. 4

Between 9 p.m. Aug. 3 and 9 a.m. Aug. 4, someone snagged $20 in change and a wallet that contained $200 cash from a 2011 Toyota that was parked in the 17200 block of 65th Avenue. The vehicle was unlocked. 

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 1

• Police said someone stole the hub caps off a Honda Accord that was parked between 9 p.m. July 31 and 8 a.m. Aug. 1 in the 8000 block of West 167th Place. They said "the caps had been pried off using a small tool."

• A thief also targeted two more cars in the 8000 block of West 167th Street, one a 2008 Ford and another, a 20120 Mercury. The theft occurred between 9 p.m. July 31 ad 9 a.m. Aug. 1, police said. 

• Sometime between 8:30 p.m. July 31 and midnight Aug. 1, someone stole the faceplate to an Alpine radio and a broken iPod from a 1998 Honda CRV that was parke din the 8400 block of West 168th Street. 

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