John P. Huston / TribLocal reporter
Winnetka police organized a late-night manhunt for two car burglars, but came up empty.
Responding to a 911 call, Winnetka called in the help of five other nearby police departments – including one with a K9 unit – to locate two men seen entering a car parked in a driveway on the 300 block of Chestnut Avenue at 3:53 a.m. Aug. 22.
“It’s 4 a.m., and we oftentimes have police units available, and it’s our experience that these offenders will continue to conduct crimes until they’re caught, so we do the absolute best to catch them as soon as we can,” said Wilmette Deputy Police Chief Patrick Kreis.
Winnetka police share a radio band with several nearby communities, and quickly called in back-up squads from Northfield, Kenilworth, Glencoe and Wilmette. Wheeling police loaned its K9, which unsuccessfully searched the vicinity for a scent of the burglars.
“At 4 in the morning we usually can get a pretty good cadre of officers to work in a concerted effort,” Kreis said.
Nothing was reported stolen, he said, but the response was large and swift.
“(The burglars) probably got a good scare, if nothing else,” Kreis said. “And they weren’t able to steal that vehicle or anything from inside that vehicle.”
The incident started when the homeowner heard his dogs barking, looked out the window and saw two men standing in his driveway. When the dome light of the car came on, the man dialed 911.
