Three Face Charges After Flurry Of Weekend Car Burglaries

Brandon Smith

Tiffany Peters

Anthony Nuter

Photo Credits: Burbank Police Department

A retail theft investigation by the Hickory Hills Police Department helped lead to the arrest of two men in connection with a string of car burglaries and auto thefts that took place in Burbank last weekend. A woman accompanying the men was also arrested. Police say the three area residents face multiple charges stemming from alleged crimes throughout the Chicagoland area.

Division Chief Mike Dudlo said Burbank Police received reports of approximately 10 car burglaries, including two vehicle thefts, between Friday, October 24 and Sunday, October 26. Many of the incidents occurred in the vicinity of the 8100 block of South Latrobe Avenue.

Burbank investigators learned that Hickory Hills police were investigating several retail theft cases with other police agencies including, Alsip, Palos Park, Palos Heights, Crest Hill, Downers Grove, and Palatine.

According to Dudlo, detectives from the combined police departments identified three suspects, Brandon Smith, 22, of the 8800 block of South 84th Ave., Hickory Hills; Tiffany Peters, 24, of the 8600 block of South 85th Ct., Hickory Hills (formerly of Burbank) and Anthony Nuter, 22, of the 1600 block of Heidron Ave., Westchester (formerly of Burbank).

“The agencies learned the three suspects were checked into Sportsman’s Inn (4501 S Cicero Ave, Chicago),” Dudlo said.  “As investigators from Hickory Hills went to apprehend the suspects, they discovered one of the stolen vehicles from one of the Burbank incidents last weekend.  As Burbank investigators arrived to assist Hickory Hills, they located the other stolen vehicle.”

Police found the three suspects in a room at the motel and placed them into custody. Some of the items stolen from cars in Burbank were recovered at the scene.

“Investigators were not able to recover everyone’s property due to it being sold on the street prior to being captured but we are pretty certain that these individuals were responsible for most, if not all, of last week’s car burglaries,” Dudlo said.

According to Dudlo, Nuter was charged with three counts of burglary from a motor vehicle and one count of possession of a stolen motor vehicle while Smith was charged with one count of criminal trespass to a motor vehicle - in connection with the Burbank incidents. Peters was not charged with any of the Burbank crimes but faces retail theft charges in other cases.

Dudlo said, “Other agencies have charged the three suspects with various charges ranging from felony retail theft, aggravated battery to a police officer, to burglary and possession of stolen property.”

The three suspects made their initial appearance Tuesday in bond court before Judge Peter Felice at the Bridgeview Courthouse. Smith was booked into Cook County Jail under no bond. Peters and Nuter remain in custody at Cook County Jail; Peters is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail, Nuter is being held in lieu of $15,000 bail. They are scheduled to appear in court again later this month.