Seven from Amboy arrested in car burglaries

DIXON – Seven Amboy men and women have been charged in connection with an apparent burglary ring where thousands of dollars worth of items were stolen from about 100 cars in Dixon this month.

Additionally, they also are suspected of three car burglaries on the west end of Amboy around the same time, said Amboy Police Sgt. Jeff Blake. No one has been charged in those burglaries.

It started with the Jan. 9 arrest of Travis Broderick, 18, who is charged with four counts of burglary.

About 9:35 p.m. Jan. 9, a resident in the 200 block of East Fifth Street reported to police that the dome light in his truck was on and his door was ajar.

The caller also said he saw two people walking in the area of his vehicle and they began running. Police located Broderick a short time later and arrested him. A 15-year-old boy was taken in for questioning and later released to parents.

Through the course of the investigation, police arrested:

• Abigail C. Shepherd, 18, charged with four counts of burglary.

• Austin J. Becker, 17, Brittany D. Vyas and Tamara L. Hiatt-Glenn, both 18, charged with burglary and misdemeanor theft.

• Trace A. Delisle, 21, charged with obstructing justice and misdemeanor theft.

• Keri M. Wittgan, 31, charged with obstructing justice.

Charges are pending against the 15-year-old boy.

Police said in a news release Friday that the vehicle burglaries occurred over the past few weeks on Galena Avenue to South Dement Avenue and East Seventh Street to East Second Street; College Avenue to Depot Avenue and Fellows Street to Chamberlin Avenue; Palmyra Avenue to Long Street and Fourth Avenue to First Avenue.

Dixon Police Detective Andy Oros said police have recovered numerous items, such as electronics, stolen from vehicles around town.

Wittgan and Delisle are accused of concealing some of the stolen items at different locations, Oros said.

Oros said it appears the group was targeting unlocked cars and grabbing what they could as quickly as possible.

Don't make your car a target for a break-in

Dixon Police offer these tips to keep your car safe from burglaries:

• Lock all doors when you get out of the vehicle.

• It is extremely rare for a suspect to damage your vehicle during a car burglary.

• Most suspects will continue on to the next vehicle if the doors are locked.

• Remove valuable items from the vehicle.

• Try to park your vehicle in a well-lit location.

• Install an alarm system in your vehicle.

• If you notice that your vehicle has been burglarized, please notify police immediately.

• Don't touch items of possible evidentiary value.

Something missing from your car?

Dixon Police encourage anyone who may have noticed items missing from their vehicles in relation to the case to call Detective Andy Oros or Detective Jessica Garza at 815-288-4411.

Call police or Crimestoppers at 1-888-228-4488 with information about any vehicular burglaries or any other suspicious activity.