Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey is alerting area  residents in regards to a recent violent crime spree, which has become increasingly more  violent in recent weeks.  Investigators from multiple local police departments have been  working in conjunction with numerous local and regional law enforcement agencies to identify  and stop an organized crime ring throughout the greater Chicago area.  These crimes include a  number of armed robberies, motor vehicle thefts/burglaries, and residential burglaries  throughout the greater Chicago area and statewide (in some instances).

Recent trends within this particular organized crime ring, most of which are affiliated with at  least one gang, indicate that the offenders are targeting affluent suburban areas of Chicago in  search for unsecured vehicles, mainly high‐end luxurious cars that have push‐to‐start ignition  devices with keys/key‐fobs left in the vehicles.

The time of day in which these crimes have been reported vary, but a majority of them have  occurred during the day and early evening hours.  These gang members, some of which are  juveniles, have been known to carry weapons and fire their weapons and flee in an effort to  evade law enforcement.

“Although it goes without saying, the best way of preventing these individuals from targeting  our area is to simply lock your doors and be mindful of your surroundings,” said Kankakee  County Sheriff Mike Downey.  “This particular crime ring has stolen cars from the Bradley area  and has committed armed robberies in Manteno and Peotone, among others.  Many of these  offenders tend to be armed and have suggested their willingness to use firearms in multiple  instances.”

Report any suspicious persons/vehicles observed in the area by calling 911 immediately.   Additionally, lock your vehicles, remove your keys and close your garage doors.

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