Police: Man Led Ring Of Teenage Burglars In Bolingbrook
BOLINGBROOK, Ill. (CBS) -- A Bolingbrook man and six teenagers are charged with being part of a burglary ring that is believed to have broken into dozens of homes.
As WBBM Newsradio's Mike Krauser reports, police say Francisco Alvarez, 42, led a group of teens to commit at many as 75 burglaries in Bolingbrook since June.
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Many of the crimes involved doors and windows being pried open. The burglars typically took jewelry, electronics and cash.
"Sources informed the detectives of several possible offenders and our investigators were very determined to locate them," Bolingbrook police Lt. Mike Rompa said.
The burglary operation unraveled, police say, when a detective spotted three teenagers wearing gloves and carrying as they walked near Alvarez's home, in the 500 block of Castle Court in Bolingbrook.
Four 15-year-old boys, one 14-year-old boy and one 15-year-old girl were charged as juveniles with participating in a calculated criminal conspiracy and at least one count of residential burglary.
Some of the teens face four or five counts, while one 15-year-old boy was charged in 17 break-ins.
Some suspects were also charged with possession of burglary tools.
Alvarez "would (usually) drive the crew to the houses and pick them and the proceeds up when they completed the burglary," Rompa said.
Alvarez himself was charged with one count of organizing a calculated criminal conspiracy, 15 counts of residential burglary and six counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He does not appear to have a previous criminal record.
Alvarez is related to two of the suspects, all of whom are friends and acquaintances. He was booked into the county jail. The teenagers were all booked into the River Valley Juvenile Detention Facility. Another 15-year-old boy was arrested but released without being charged.
The Joliet Herald-News contributed to this report, via the Sun-Times Media Wire.
