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U. of C. Police Go Door-to-Door in Hyde Park to Warn of Burglaries

By Sam Cholke | April 19, 2014 8:59am
 Residents the Carolan Apartments said they think they have video of three men involvded in a break-in at the building on March 30.
Residents the Carolan Apartments said they think they have video of three men involvded in a break-in at the building on March 30.
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DNAinfo/Sam Cholke

HYDE PARK — Police are warning Hyde Parkers to remember to close and lock their windows after a recent spate of burglaries.

Bob Mason, a spokesman for the University of Chicago Police Department, said there have been eight burglaries in the neighborhood since the beginning of April, all during daylight hours when people are at work.

University officers were out in east Hyde Park this week going door-to-door warning residents that there were five burglaries east of the Metra tracks between 52nd and 56th streets in recent weeks.

Mason said in only one instance did the burglars enter when a resident was home.

On April 5, an apartment resident who was asleep was awakened at 4:10 p.m. in the 5400 block of South Hyde Park Boulevard when two men came into his apartment through a window, according to police.

“The occupant got up, and when the two guys saw the occupant they ran out,” Mason said.

Residents of the Carolan Apartments, 5480 S. Cornell Ave., said at a Wednesday CAPS meeting that they have video of two men jumping over the back fence shortly before a March 30 break-in when a computer was stolen.

Chicago police said on Friday they have gotten a copy of the surveillance footage and passed it along to detectives, but were not yet ready to release a description of the men in the video.

George Kotnour, a resident of the apartment building, said the same three men also showed up on security footage at the building on April 12.

“They jumped over the fence and started knocking on doors,” Kotnour said. “Luckily, someone on the first floor was home and they took off.”

He said all three of the men looked to be about 18 years old, were black and one was wearing a yellow hooded sweatshirt.

“If you see three people walking around and one is wearing a yellow sweatshirt, call the police,” Kotnour said.

Police said it was unclear which burglaries were related and as of Friday had not made any arrests.