Neighbor Helps Foil Home Burglary: Police

An observant neighbor helped police stop a residential burglary that turned into a car chase and brief manhunt, according to police reports. 

Donte Turner, 22, of Markham, and Michael G. Smith, 28, of Country Club Hills were charged with residential burglary Dec. 20 after Oak Forest police responded to a call of a burglary in progress in the 5800 block of Edward Drive.

A resident noticed a 1996 beige Oldsmobile parked in the driveway of one of the homes in his neighborhood at around 6 p.m. Dec. 20, and saw two men who didn't live at that home walk out from behind it, the report stated. The men loaded items into the car and then drove off quickly, the report added.

The resident called 911 to report what he had seen and then began following the Oldsmobile as it drove through the neighborhood, the report stated. 

Police picked up pursuit around Stuart Lane, and the car lost control, crashing into a tree near the intersection of Stuart and Reynolds lanes, the report stated. Two men—identified as Turner and Smith—jumped out of the vehicle and ran in different directions, the report stated, adding that police took them into custody after setting up a perimeter around the neighborhood.

When officers searched the Oldsmobile, which was heavily damaged from the crash, they found two large TVs and a laptop computer in the back seat, th report stated.

Police blotter information is provided by the Oak Forest Police Department. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions taken on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.