Garages burglarized in Portage Park, Jefferson Park: police

Police are warning Northwest Side residents about a rash of garage burglaries during January and February in the Portage Park and Jefferson Park neighborhoods.

The burglar or burglars kicked down or pried open the overheard or side doors to get inside, according to a community alert from Chicago police. In some cases, they used a garage remote from residents’ vehicles to break in.

Stolen items include construction tools, air compressors and lawn equipment, police said. No suspect description was available.

This hasn’t been the first string of garage burglaries reported in the area. Similar incidents have been occurring since April 19, 2017, police said. Lately, the burglaries happened during the evening and early morning hours.

The burglaries were reported:

• between 9:50 and 10:30 p.m. Jan. 14 in the 4200 block of North Menard;
• between 2 p.m. Jan. 14 and 2:37 p.m. Jan. 16 in the 4900 block of North Melvina;
• about 12:30 a.m. Feb. 2 in the 5800 block of West Ainslie;
• between 7:30 p.m. Feb. 2 and 7:15 a.m. Feb. 3 in the 5500 block of West Wilson; and
• between 11 p.m. Feb. 2 and 3 p.m. Feb. 3 in the 5700 block of West Leland.

Anyone with information on the burglaries is asked to call Area North detectives at (312) 744-8263.