Crime & Safety

Man, Teen Caught Breaking into Cars, Police Say

The pair both pretended to be asleep when police found them inside different vehicles, Joliet Cmdr. Al Roechner said.

A 29-year-old man and his teenage accomplice were arrested for burglarizing cars early Saturday morning after police found them pretending to be asleep in different vehicles, Joliet police said.

Laith Nahhas, of 1020 Woodruff, Joliet, and a 15-year-old boy were arrested after police answered a 3 a.m. call from a resident about two people breaking into cars in the 700 block of Francis Street, Cmdr. Al Roechner said.

Nahhas was found first, hiding and feigning sleep inside a Chevy pickup truck belonging to the person who called police, Roechner said. The teen was found about a block away inside a Ford Taurus parked at 510 Meeker, he said.

Both suspects claimed they had climbed inside the unlocked vehicles for a place to sleep, but police confiscated a number of items -- including iPods, alcohol, a car amplifier and a bank credit card -- that made them believe the pair had gotten into several vehicles before being apprehended, Roechner said.

Both were charged with two counts of burglary to a motor vehicle, but it's possible more charges will be filed if the items found can be linked to other burglaries, he said.

The teen was taken to River Valley Juvenile Justice Center. Nahhas is being held at the Will County jail in lieu of $20,000 bond.


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