A suburban woman is warning residents in several towns to be extra careful after thieves got into her unlocked car and then used a garage door opener to gain access to her garage.
“It seemed like they had an agenda. They were in and out quickly,” the woman, who asked not to be identified, said.
Surveillance video shows the two suspects checking the doors on the vehicle, and then getting into the vehicle after finding it unlocked. Eventually they found the garage door opener and pressed the button while two more suspects ran into the garage itself.
“We actually heard the garage door closing. That’s what woke us up,” she said.
The suspects didn’t steal anything from the car or from the garage, but kept the garage door opener with them.
“We were like ‘oh hey, we live down the street from a fire station. Nothing will happen,’” Mia Herrera, the victim’s niece, said.
Now, southwest suburban police chiefs in Orland Hills, Orland Park and Tinley Park are working together to warn residents of the dangers of leaving their vehicles or garages unlocked, and they’re looking to crack down on the string of break-ins.
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“I think these crimes happen very quickly,” Village of Orland Hills Chief of Police Thomas Scully said. “These guys are in and out in six or seven seconds. They’re not worried about our patrol patterns.”
Police are looking to residents to help stay vigilant against the threat the robbers pose, and for the Orland Hills woman, she won’t take chances again.
“I really believe they may come back, but this time everybody will be aware and everybody will be looking out for each other,” she said.
