Des Plaines man charged with breaking into cars

A 46-year-old Des Plaines man with a lengthy criminal record was charged with burglary Saturday after Mount Prospect police spotted him breaking into a car there.

Cook County prosecutors said Dennis Bohannon has been convicted of similar crimes numerous times in the past, most recently in 2007 when he was sentenced to three years in prison for burglary.

Court papers stated that police spotted Bohannon trying to open the doors of various cars near the intersection of Main and Thayer streets. Eventually, police said, Bohannon found an unlocked vehicle in the 300 block of North Emerson Street and entered the car. Bohannon fled when police attempted to arrest him; he was caught after a brief chase. During interviews with police, Bohannon admitted to breaking into several cars in the area “looking for a lighter for his cigarette and loose change,” according to court papers.

Bohannon is being held at the Cook County Jail in lieu of a $4,000 bond. His next court date is slated for Feb. 15.