Elgin man charged in break-ins

An Elgin man was charged with residential burglary related to a series of break-ins in the Century Oaks East neighborhood, Elgin police said.

The burglaries took place between Jan. 30 and Feb. 20 and involved the theft of electronics and jewelry, the news release said.

Elgin police say they used its LeadsOnLine program to identify Juan C. Lopez, 18, of the 1200 block of Countryside Drive, as their suspect. Lopez was charged with four counts of residential burglary.

Elgin police encourage residents to register their valuables at LeadsOnLine at cityofelgin.com. This free service, upon the item's recovery, helps police reunite property that has been lost or stolen with its rightful owner.

"While the police department works with residents to prevent burglaries from occurring, this is but one example that when they do occur, technology can be a great tool to identify and arrest the thieves who prey on our community," Elgin Police Chief Jeff Swoboda said in a statement. "I am very proud of our detectives and our Technical Investigations Unit for the work that was done to solve these burglaries."

Lopez is expected in bond court Friday morning.