2 men suspected of stealing 24 vehicles left running on West Side this winter

Two dozen drivers who left their vehicles on returned to find them stolen this winter in neighborhoods throughout the West Side.

The thefts were reported from mid-December to February and usually stemmed from the drivers keeping parked vehicles running to warm up in the cold, according to a community alert from Chicago police.

Two black men, ages 19 and 24, are believed to be the suspects, police said. The younger man was described as 6-foot-2 and 158 pounds with short hair, while the other was 5-foot-7 and 155 pounds with dreadlocks.

The incidents occurred:

• about 6:45 a.m. Dec. 12 in the 4600 block of West Erie Street;
• about 7:15 p.m. Dec. 12 in the 3400 block of West Walnut Street;
• about 8:20 a.m. Dec. 14 in the 3200 block of West Ohio Street;
• about 9:50 a.m. Dec. 22 in the 3900 block of West Madison Avenue;
• about 2:30 p.m. Dec. 28 in the 300 block of South Albany Avenue;
• about 9:25 a.m. Dec. 29 in the 900 block of South Springfield Avenue;
• about 3:45 p.m. Jan. 6 in the 4400 block of West Roosevelt Road;
• about 12:51 a.m. Jan. 10 in the 3900 block of West Madison Avenue;
• about 8:40 a.m. Jan. 11 in the 3400 block of West Chicago Avenue;
• about 11:21 a.m. Jan. 11 in the 4400 block of West Grenshaw Avenue;
• about 7:30 p.m. Jan. 13 in the 4600 block of West Erie Street;
• about 1:30 a.m. Jan. 14 in the 100 block of South Cicero Avenue;
• about 2 p.m. Jan. 17 in the 500 block of North Avers Avenue;
• at 12:37 a.m. Jan. 30 in the 4700 block of West Harrison;
• about 11 a.m. Jan. 30 in the 700 block of North Monticello;
• about 10 a.m. Jan. 31 in the 4700 block of West Jackson;
• about 4:30 p.m. Jan. 31 in the 4300 block of West Cortez;
• about 9 p.m. Jan. 31 in the 2900 block of West Monroe;
• at 9:25 a.m. Feb. 8 in the 800 block of North Cicero;
• about 3:30 p.m. Feb. 8 in the 3400 block of West Polk;
• at 3:25 p.m. Feb. 9 in the 3200 block of West Chicago;
• about 11:30 a.m. Feb. 9 in the 300 block of North Karlov;
• at 8:49 p.m. Feb. 13 in the 4200 block of West Gladys; and
• at 9:15 p.m. Feb. 13 in the 2800 block of West Van Buren.

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