Seven van thefts on Northwest Side prompt police alert

Seven car thefts in the past month on the Northwest Side have prompted police to issue a community alert.

Since Oct. 8, someone has been stealing Ford and Chevy cargo vans while they were legally parked overnight, the alert said.

The most recent theft happened sometime between 7 p.m. Oct. 29 and 6:20 a.m. Oct. 30 in the 3300 block of North Lavergne Avenue in Portage Park.

The first two thefts occurred within the same night. Between 9 p.m. Oct. 8 and 6:30 a.m. Oct 9, a van was stolen in the 5200 block of North Long Avenue in Jefferson Park. Then another van was stolen at 5:30 a.m. Oct. 9 in the 4300 block of North Mason Avenue in Portage Park, about two miles away.

The next three thefts also occurred in Portage Park in the 5300 block of West Irving Park Road between 9:30 p.m. Oct. 12 and 6:30 a.m. Oct. 13, the 3300 block of North Cicero Avenue between midnight and 6:20 a.m. Oct. 16, and the 5300 block of West Eddy Street between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m. Oct. 24.

The sixth theft happened between 8 p.m. Oct. 28 and 6:25 a.m. Oct 29 in the 3900 block of North Oak Park Avenue in Dunning.

Anyone with information about the thefts should call Area North detectives at (312) 744-8263.