Highland Park police charge Chicago man with stealing packages, entering garage

A report Tuesday of a suspicious person entering a Highland Park home led to the arrest of a Chicago man, according to Highland Park police. who say the man was involved in other incidents involving forced entry into a garage and stolen packages.

Charles Lawson, 25, was charged with two counts residential burglary and misdemeanor theft. Police said he was involved in multiple incidents including a forced entry into a garage and packages stolen from a front porch. Lawson, who is being held on $75,000 bail, next will appear in a Lake County courtroom on Tuesday.

According to police, a caller - while in the backyard of a home on the 1200 block of McDaniels Avenue - heard a person inside the home at about 6:50 p.m. The caller entered the home and encountered an individual who told the caller the garage door was open before fleeing on a bicycle.

As officers searched the area, they received another call reporting a potential burglary on the 1100 block of Thorn Tree Lane. At 7:03 p.m., officers saw a man, later identified as Lawson, matching the description of the individual involved in the McDaniels Avenue case, police said. Officers subsequently responded to two other cases in the area where callers reported forced entry into a garage and packages stolen from a front porch.

Highland Park police encourage residents to lock all doors even when home; lock windows before leaving home; lock vehicle doors and close windows, including sunroofs, even when vehicles are in a garage; close garage doors; keep valuables and garage door openers hidden and never leave keys or key fobs in the car.