Police Bust West Suburban Burglary Ring
MAYWOOD, Ill. (CBS) -- Cook County Sheriff's Police have busted up a burglary ring that targeted homes across the near western suburbs.
Alfredo Ramirez, 21, of Stone Park, has been arrested and charged with five counts of burglary for his alleged role in the ring. His cousin, Juan Ramirez, 25, of Cicero, is still wanted by sheriff's police.
The burglars hit up at least five homes in Melrose Park, Bellwood and unincorporated Leyden Township.
They went from door to door and knocked to find out if anyone was home. If there wasn't, they would break in to steal valuables and pawn them right away.
If someone was home, the burglars would leave and move on to the next house, sheriff's police said.
Police found out about the burglary ring after a two-flat building was burglarized on May 24, in the 10500 block of Nevada Avenue in Leyden Township. A 10-year-old girl who lived in the building called 911 after she heard someone kicking at the door to her second-floor apartment.
The burglars – of whom Alfredo Ramirez was allegedly one – had fled by the time police arrived. They had gotten into the building by prying open a window in a first-floor vestibule, and kicking in an apartment door.
They stole an X-Box and video games from the first floor apartment, where no one was home. They were about to break into the second-floor apartment, but left when they realized people were home there, police said.
Detectives collected shoe prints and fingerprints at the scene, and found a suspicious black Nissan Altima going by as they examined surveillance video from a middle school across the street.
Police caught up with the car at a bank in the 1800 block of North Broadway in Melrose Park, and pulled it over. Alfredo Ramirez was inside with the stolen goods, and was planning to meet someone at the bank who would buy them, police said.
Alfredo Ramirez admitted to taking part in the burglary ring. He and the other burglars stole iPods, laptops, cameras, video game systems, jewelry, and anything else they could get their hands on, police said.
Bond for Alfredo Ramirez has been set at $30,000. He was to appear again Thursday at the Maybrook Courthouse in Maywood.
Anyone who knows where police might find Juan Ramirez is asked to call Cook County Sheriff's police detectives, at (708) 865-4896.
