Oak Park’s Avenue Parking Garage was hit hard by car break-ins in early September, in connection with even more burglarized vehicles at the University of Illinois Chicago campus.
Just after 3 a.m., on Sept 11, about 29 cars had their windows smashed in the garage on the 700 block of North Blvd. Just east of Oak Park Avenue, according to the Oak Park Police Department summary report.
A public safety advisory put out by UIC stated campus police “documented that multiple burglaries to motor vehicles occurred at various locations on the East campus,” around 4:10 a.m.
Oak Park officers saw the offending vehicle, described as a black Kia SUV, when they responded to the garage, but the car fled, according to the OPPD spokesperson. The car was reported stolen from Chicago.
“It was later learned that the same vehicle had been reported to have been involved in vehicle burglaries at UIC,” wrote the OPPD spokesperson in an email.
An owner of one of the cars burglarized told Wednesday Journal they returned from vacation to find their car windows smashed and car ransacked, although nothing was taken as they don’t keep anything in the vehicle.
They said a note from the Oak Park Police Department was left on the car, and an officer responded to the garage once they called. They said they felt frustrated there was no other communication that the incident had occurred and have unanswered questions about security for the parking garage.
“It’s kind of concerning that this is a big push to have people park there, but then this event happened,” said the car owner. “It’s something that the village needs to take a look at because if our parking garages are not safe, where is it safe to park?
The Village of Oak Park said the parking department has been contacted for more information regarding inquiries about whether there are security cameras in the parking garage and the standard procedure for notifying victims of property damage and theft on village property.
Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood was hit with a similar, but separate, incident on Sept. 1.
Officers responded around 12:30 a.m. to the medical center, and there were 64 vehicles vandalized, some being burglarized in the multi-story parking garage, according to a statement from Cook County Sheriff’s Department.
NBC Chicago reported that a teen suspect was arrested on Sept. 22 for alleged involvement in this incident and has been charged with criminal damage to property and burglary of motor vehicles.
The investigation for the Avenue Parking Garage incident is still ongoing according to OPPD.