Wilmette Police Chase Suspected Auto Burglar

Wilmette police were in hot pursuit at 2:30 a.m. Monday of a red Subaru that they thought was operated by a suspected auto burglar.

Authorities began following the car along Isabell Street near Broadway Avenue because they suspected the driver to be involved in a burglary that occurred near Crescent Place and Laurel Avenue about 20 minutes earlier. In that incident, an iPod mini was stolen from a 1998 Ford Explorer.

While trailing the Subaru, police reported that the driver began accelerating and making a series of left turns to elude them. Eventually, the driver made a sharp turn onto 6th Street and crashed into a park vehicle on Gregory Avenue. (Earlier: Series of Burglaries, Damages Prompt Wilmette Police Alert)

Police said they saw the driver running from the scene and followed him on foot, as the road was blocked by the Subaru.

When police later ran the car's license plate, it was discovered that the Subaru had been stolen from a Wilmette resident in the 100 block of 5th Street earlier that day. Officials contacted the owner, who said he had left the car unlocked with the keys inside.

Several hours later, a 21-year-old Chicago man was apprehended at the Central Street Metra station in Evanston. Police said he "matched the description of a man observed committing burglaries to [an] auto" on Crescent and 5th Street in Wilmette. 

Police also reported taking the man into custody because they thought he was the suspect who had fled the crash scene earlier.

The Chicago resident was turned over to Evanston authorities as he was "implicated in burglaries in Evanston" but was not charged, according to Wilmette police.

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