Aurora police officers used their detective skills to arrest two men who were then charged with burglary, and also returned a stolen camera full of photos to its owner.
The camera, which contained pictures of a young boy at his first birthday party, is now back in the hands of a happy mother, Aurora Police Department spokesman Dan Ferrelli said.
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Police said the camera, along with other photography equipment worth $3,000, was found in the yard of a home while police were responding to a suspicious activity call in the area of Florida and Hammond avenues around 2:20 a.m. Sunday.
During their investigation, police were able to identify the owner of the camera using photos that had been stored on the device. More specifically, the officer focused on a picture showing a unique light fixture in the front lawn of a home.
Ferrelli said officers drove around the area looking for a home with a matching fixture, and found the camera’s owner.
“Good things happen when residents report suspicious activity to 911,” Ferrelli said.
Two Aurora men, Diego Jimenez, 19, 300 block of Michigan Avenue, and Javier Ucles Jr., 18, 500 block of Florida Avenue, are facing burglary charges for allegedly stealing the camera, electronics, a purse and other items from several vehicles Sunday morning.
Ferrelli said that after receiving the suspicious activity call, officers spotted Jimenez and Ucles walking near Florida Avenue and Highland Avenue around 2:20 a.m.. Police said the men were in possession of a purse, car stereo and other items that had been reported stolen from vehicles parked in the 400 block of Florida Avenue and the 1000 block of Iowa Avenue.
Ferrelli said that as the investigation continued, police found additional stolen items, including the camera, dumped in a yard near where Ucles lives, police said.
Police charged both Jimenez and Ucles with three felony counts of motor vehicle burglary, Ferrelli said.