Crime & Safety

Watch Video: Elmhurst Cop Sees Fleeing Burglary Suspect

The man entered three cars in a local neighborhood, police said. Officers searched for the suspect.

A man is seen running away in a video screenshot just before an Elmhurst police officer shows up.
A man is seen running away in a video screenshot just before an Elmhurst police officer shows up. (Elmhurst Police Department/via video)

ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst police were called about a man burglarizing cars early Friday morning in a local neighborhood.

The police released a video of the man, who was entering a car parked on the street. Then he witnessed something down the street.

The man ran through a front lawn, scaring away a rabbit. Then an Elmhurst squad car entered the screen, with the officer activating emergency lights and briefly the siren.

Find out what's happening in Elmhurstfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

According to a police statement, officers responded to Cedar Avenue and Allison Street about 4 a.m. in southeast Elmhurst for a 911 call reporting the burglary suspect.

The suspect in the video jumped a fence into a residential backyard, police said. Officers searched the area on foot, accompanied by a K-9. The suspect got away.

Find out what's happening in Elmhurstfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The K-9 tracked the suspect's scent to the nearby Canadian National railroad tracks.

Officers discovered that the suspect had entered three unlocked cars parked outside – in the 600 block of Cedar, the 400 block of Allison and the 300 block of Crescent Avenue.

Later in the morning, a resident provided police with the video.

"Residents are asked to make their neighborhoods a hard target for thieves by always locking their cars, especially if parked outside," police said in the statement. "Thieves often strike neighborhoods during early morning hours, requiring residents to be watchful for suspicious behavior at those times."

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.