Crime & Safety

Two Arrested in Plainfield Car Burglaries

Ryan Starcher and Jeffrey Dillard were caught rummaging through cars in The Streams subdivision, police said.

Two Aurora men face multiple burglary charges after police said they were caught breaking into cars during the early morning hours of July 18.

Ryan Starcher, 29, of the 2000 block of Lilac Lane and Jeffrey Dillard, 23, of the 700 block of Sherwood Avenue are charged with five counts of burglary, along with criminal damage to a motor vehicle and criminal trespassing to a motor vehicle.

Sgt. Mike Fisher said at around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, responded to a report of two men with flashlights peering into vehicles and checking for unlocked cars near Cedar Creek Court and Cedar Creek Lane in The Streams subdivision.

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Fisher said officers who arrived encountered Starcher and Dillard, along with evidence that the pair had been burglarizing cars.

“Through their investigation and the evidence that those individuals had on them at the time, it was determined that they were going through cars and had even broken out the window of one car,” Fisher said, adding the men are accused of burglarizing five vehicles.

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According to police, the duo was caught with stolen items from cars, including a GPS unit, purses and change they’d found while rummaging through cars, most of which were unlocked.

“This is actually a rare case because they actually did break the window on one vehicle,” Fisher said. “The majority of the car burglaries that we get are unlocked cars — it’s a crime of opportunity.”

Fisher urged residents to take part in the Plainfield Police Department’s campaign.

Aimed at reducing car burglaries, the effort provides residents with bright blue “Lock It or Lose It” stickers to place in their car windows.

The stickers serve a twofold purpose by reminding residents to lock their car doors, Fisher said, along with helping police identify which cars belong in the area as they are patrolling neighborhoods.

Fisher said residents can’t be too cautious when it comes to locking up their vehicles.

“I encourage people to park in your garage, lock your car, shut your garage door, lock the door from the garage to your house,” he said, adding residents should not leave items like keys or purses in their vehicles.

Both Starcher and Dillard were due in Will County court Thursday. As of late Thursday afternoon, bail had not been set for either man.

Looking for more police news? You might be interested in these Plainfield Patch stories:

 

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