Evanston police arrested two city residents Thursday in connection with separate burglaries.
Tewayne T. Kennedy, 20, of the 1900 block of Jackson Avenue, was charged with felony residential burglary and criminal trespass to land after police allege he broke into an unlocked garage in the 1900 block of Wesley Avenue and an apartment in the 1100 block of Foster Street early Thursday morning.
Kristia R. Berg, 24, of the 1400 block of Chicago Avenue, was charged with felony burglary after police allege she entered an unlocked garage in the 1200 block of Hinman Avenue.
At about 6 a.m. Thursday, police said a 48-year-old resident in the 1900 block of Wesley Avenue reported hearing a noise coming from her detached garage and spied Kennedy enter the structure through an unlocked door. According to authorities, Kennedy fled from the backyard when officers arrived at the scene, and he was subsequently arrested in the front yard of the residence. Police said nothing was taken from the garage.
Roughly two hours later, police were dispatched to an apartment in the 1100 block of Foster Street. Police said a 21-year-old resident at the apartment saw a man in the house at about 5 a.m. that morning. He said he spoke with the man, who said he was looking for someone else, and the resident told him he must have the wrong apartment. The resident told police the man left carrying a tan backpack.
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At about 8 a.m., with Kennedy already in police custody, the 21-year-old told police he discovered that a tan backpack containing an iPhone6, Macbook Air laptop and wallet had been stolen from his roommate. Police said the description of the man who allegedly took the backpack matched that of Kennedy. The iPhone was tracked to Kennedy’s Jackson Avenue address, and the backpack and its contents were recovered at his residence, police said.
Shortly before 5 p.m. Thursday, police said they received a call from a man who said he observed a woman enter his neighbor’s garage in the 1200 block of Hinman Avenue. Police located Berg, who they said matched the description supplied by the neighbor, in the 1200 block of Chicago Avenue. Police said the neighbor later identified Berg as the woman who entered the unlocked garage. The owner of the garage, an 84-year-old woman, told police she was unsure what, if anything, was stolen from the structure.
Evanston Police Cmdr. Joe Dugan said residents can prevent burglaries before they happen by locking their doors. Of the nine reported burglaries the department investigated last week, seven of involved unlocked doors and only two were forced entries, he said.
“Every chance I get, I try to urge residents to be vigilant about locking their houses, their garages, their cars,” Dugan said.
He said certain areas of the city have experienced an uptick in burglaries recently.
“Anytime you catch a burglar, it’s a good arrest. But with the increase (in burglaries), it’s good to catch not just one but two,” Dugan said.
Lee V. Gaines is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.