Homeless man accused of breaking into Westmont house, stealing car

A motion to detain pretrial a homeless man accused of breaking into a Westmont woman’s home and stealing her car was granted March 26.

The 23-year-old offender appeared at First Appearance Court charged with one count each of residential burglary and possession of a stolen motor vehicle, according to a DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office news release.

Westmont police responded to a call regarding a disturbance on Naperville Road about 11:48 p.m. March 25. Upon their arrival, officers met with the victim who said she was alone in her bedroom when she heard noises coming from the kitchen. When the women went to the kitchen, she found the back door to the house open and her purse had been ransacked, according to the release.

She also observed that her car, a 2022 Hyundai Tuscon, was missing from the garage. After an investigation, it is alleged the offender manipulated a windowpane on the back door, allowing the offender to unlock the door and enter the home.

Once inside, the offender took the woman’s debit and credit cards from her purse and took the woman’s car keys and garage door opener from a bowl in the living room. He left the house, opened the garage door and stole the woman’s car.

About midnight, a Hinsdale police officer observed the vehicle traveling east on Burlington Avenue, initiated a traffic stop and arrested the offender, according to the release.

“My office takes the behavior alleged in this case extremely seriously,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in the release. “Violating the safety and security that a home provides to us all can not only have a devastating effect on the victim but can also have a crippling effect on the entire community as residents worry that they may be next. I thank the Westmont Police Department for their prompt response to the initial call as well as the Hinsdale Police Department for their work in apprehending the defendant in this case.”

“Our officers did a great job of responding to the scene and gathering vital information, which led to the quick apprehension of the suspect. We would like to thank Addison Consolidated Dispatch Center for disseminating the information and thank Hinsdale Police Department for locating the suspect and taking him into custody,” Westmont Chief of Police James Gunther said in the release.

The offender’s next court appearance is scheduled for April 22 for arraignment.