Crime & Safety
18-Year-Old Linked to 30 Car Burglaries, Police Say
He even burglarized police officer's cars, police said, and took body armor and a pistol magazine. An arrest is merely an accusation, not evidence of a conviction.
Park Ridge Police have charged Gregory Magnuszewski, 18, with four counts of felony burglary to motor vehicle.
Police said Magnuszewski, of Schiller Park, was linked to at least 30 car burglaries in Park Ridge and is believed to have been involved in car burglaries in Chicago, Schiller Park and other area municipalities. Park Ridge police said that charges are pending in some of those nearby jurisdictions.
Police said that Magnuszewski took cell phones, sports equipment and other electronics. In addition, several vehicles belonging to police officers and a firefighter were burglarized. Among other items Park Ridge investigators recovered included a police radio, body armor as well as a pistol magazine.
This arrest was made possible because a witness to one of the burglaries was able to provide a partial license plate. According to Park Ridge police, Detective Tim McEwen spent hours reconfiguring the numbers and letters provided until he was able to link it to a vehicle matching the description of a car leaving the scene.
Police stated that the willingness of the witness to become involved and McEwen’s work helped stop another serial car burglar and "sends yet another message to those who are thinking of targeting the cars of Park Ridge, to think again."
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