Teen Charged in Eastern Avenue Car Burglaries

A Plainfield teenager with a prior theft conviction was arrested Monday and charged in a string of vehicle burglaries near downtown Plainfield, police said.

Donrael J. Matthews, 19, is being held at the Will County jail on a theft charge following a string of vehicle burglaries on Eastern Avenue and in the surrounding neighborhood.

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Sgt. Mike Fisher said Matthews and two male juveniles were arrested in connection with the burglaries following a search at Matthews’ home in the 15000 block of Park Avenue.

“After all of the recent burglaries in the area that he recently moved to, we started conducting an investigation,” Fisher said.

Matthews was on probation after pleading guilty to theft following a December 2012 arrest. Fisher said police worked with Matthews’ parole officer to conduct an investigation into the more recent vehicle burglaries.

Police executing a search warrant at Matthews’ home, “a multitude of property was recovered that matched those from the recent burglaries,” Fisher said.

The arrests came after Eastern Avenue residents discovered items missing from their vehicles on Friday, May 10. Fisher said while some of the cars had been unlocked, others showed signs of forced entry.

As of Monday night, Matthews was still being held at the Will County jail, according to jail records. Bond was set at $15,000.