Crime & Safety

Homeless Man Arrested, Admits to Stealing From 100 Vehicles

Robberies occurred along the BNSF corridor; Western Springs police say it is not clear whether or not there is a link to recent vehicle burglaries in the Village.

Clarendon Hills police arrested a homeless man on Monday night who has admitted to burglarizing about 100 vehicles in the western suburbs along the BNSF Railway.

Nicholas Robertson, 30, was charged with felony burglary on Monday night,  Chief Ted Jenkins said.

Jenkins said that the state's attorney's office is currently charging Robertson with one count of burglary of a motor vehicle, though he said more charges could come. Robertson was also found to be in possession of heroin.

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A spate of vehicle burglaries has struck Western Springs over the past month, but Deputy Chief of Police Brian Budds said the Western Springs Police Department has not yet made any links between Robertson and those crimes.

“At this point, there is no evidence to suggest a direct connection to this arrestee in our open BMV [burglary of motor vehicle] cases,” Budds wrote in a brief e-mail.

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Items found on Robertson have already connected him to burglaries in Clarendon Hills, Downers Grove, Lombard and Westmont.

While on routine patrol at 9 p.m. Monday, Officer Aaron Shirley came upon Robertson sleeping on a bench inside the Clarendon Hills Burlington Northern Sante Fe/Metra depot. Jenkins said Robertson is believed to be homeless; his last known address is in Dalton City, Ill., which is near Decatur.

After asking for identification from Robertson, Shirley noticed in Robertson’s wallet numerous gift cards and credit cards with different names on them and recognized one of the names as that of the victim of a Clarendon Hills vehicle burglary reported on Dec. 4.

Robertson was transported to the Clarendon Hills police station and a subsequent investigation found evidence that Robertson could be responsible for more than 100 such burglaries along the west suburban railroad tracks over the last month.

Jenkins said Robertson had a backpack filled with the aforementioned gift and credit cards, as well as iPods, jewelry, and "anything that you would imagine you would find in a center console."

Robertson cooperated with officers, Jenkins said, and estimated he had burglarized approximately 100 vehicles along the railroad tracks. Jenkins said Robertson does not have a car and uses trains to move from place to place.  

Clarendon Hills Police are trying to identify the owners of as many of the stole objects as possible, Jenkins said, and will work with nearby departments to identify Robertson’s alleged victims.

Robertson was charged with felony burglary and felony possession of heroin, and was transported to DuPage County Jail, where he remains.

Jenkins said vehicle-burglary suspects such as Robertson are hard to catch because the offenses often happen in the middle of the night with few witnesses.

"It was a great day," Jenkins said. "It was excellent work on Aaron Shirley's part."


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