Police: Man admits breaking into 37 vehicles

A Des Plaines man who was recently apprehended by police while breaking into a vehicle has admitted to burglarizing 37 other vehicles in the city since Oct. 1, police said.

Frank Sabo, 26, of the 1200 block of Brown Street, was arrested at 3:40 a.m. on Nov. 30 while breaking into a vehicle on the 900 block of Greenview Avenue. said Deputy Chief Nick Treantafeles of the Des Plaines Police Department. Stationary police surveillance had been set up in the area because of multiple vehicle had been burglarized nearby, he said.

After his arrest, police recovered an iPhone, phone case and charger valued at $190 from Sabo that he took during a vehicle burglary earlier that night, Treantafeles said.

During a lengthy investigation, Sabo admitted he had burglarized 37 other vehicles in the same area.

“All the vehicles were unlocked and all the vehicles had similar items taken (from them),” Treantafeles said, adding that usually the items were iPads, iPhones and loose coins. “If people would lock their cars probably 95 percent of our vehicle burglaries would be eliminated.”

Sabo also said he had previously stolen a vehicle from the 700 block of West Golf Road, Treantafeles said. He was charged with one count of burglary to a vehicle. His next court date is December 17.