2 men charged with burglaries, vehicle thefts in Winthrop Harbor

Two men were recently charged with a series of home burglaries and vehicle thefts in north suburban Winthrop Harbor.

Officers responded on June 4 to a home in the 1800 block of 12th Street that had been burglarized by two people who broke in through an attached garage door, according to Winthrop Harbor police. The burglars stole a wallet, a dog bed, compact disks and prescription glasses before taking the resident’s Toyota Yaris.

Officers were then dispatched on June 8 to a burglary at a home in the 2200 block of Funderburk Drive where two people broke in through an attached garage door, police said. The suspects then stole a Toshiba laptop, an iPhone, an iPad, money and a wallet, as well as the resident’s Chevrolet Blazer.

That same day, officers responded to a motor vehicle burglary in the 1200 block of Adams Avenue, police said. The burglar or burglars entered the unlocked vehicle and stole a BB gun, cigarettes, a lighter, prescription medication and a power cord.

Detectives executed a search warrant on June 14 at a hotel in the 1100 block of Sheridan Road where one of the suspects was staying, police said.

After recovering property from the reported burglaries, Christopher D. Betts, 21, of Winthrop Harbor was taken into custody and charged with the crime spree, police said. His bond was set at $75,000 and his next court appearance was scheduled for July 11 in Lake County, according to the Lake County sheriff’s office.

Brandon J. Petterec, 20, of North Chicago, was later taken into custody on June 30 in north suburban Vernon Hills and charged with the burglaries, police said. Petterec’s bond was set at $100,000, and his next court date was scheduled for July 18 in Lake County, according to the sheriff’s office.

Betts and Petterec face single counts of residential burglary and burglary from motor vehicle, and two counts of unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle, police said.

The stolen vehicles were later recovered and returned to their owners, police said.