Park Forest, IL—(ENEWSPF)—A Schererville man faces two felony counts of burglary to a motor vehicle after allegedly admitting to police that he broke into cars. Police arrested Corey D. Stewart, 41, Schererville, on April 29th and charged him with criminal trespass to a motor vehicle, attempted criminal trespass to a motor vehicle, obstructing identification, and two felony counts of burglary to a motor vehicle. Mr. Stewart had an initial court appearance at the Markham Courthouse on May 21, 2024.
On April 29 at 11:32 PM, several officers responded to Larue Street to investigate a report about a suspicious subject. SouthCom Dispatch informed officers that the caller had reported a man wearing a white hoodie attempting to gain entry into his vehicle. When police arrived, they spoke with a man and woman.
The woman said her camera system alerted her to movement at her front door at approximately 11:18 PM. She checked the footage and saw a man pull on the door handles of two cars outside. She could not see the man herself and did not know in what direction he was going. The complainant emailed the video footage to an officer. This officer forwarded the footage to fellow officers who were searching the area.
Video: Alleged Suspect in Felony Burglary to Motor Vehicle
One officer reviewing the footage saw the suspect as a medium build man wearing a white hoodie, dark jeans, and white shoes. The man had a full beard with a mustache, according to police. He alerted police by radio at 11:49 PM that he and his partner found someone matching the suspect’s description on New Salem Street.
The man they found, Corey D. Stewart, allegedly identified himself with a false name and date of birth, according to police. Mr. Stewart wore a white hoodie, dark pants, and white shoes. The police also said he had facial hair that matched the person depicted in the video.
An officer took custody of Mr. Stewart and secured him in handcuffs.
According to the report, after reading him his Miranda rights, the officer told Mr. Stewart they saw him on camera trying to break into vehicles. Mr. Stewart immediately denied the allegation and told police he was walking down the street. He then asked to see the footage.
An officer showed him a still frame image of the suspect, and Mr. Stewart confirmed that the man in the picture was him but said he had not entered a vehicle.
Police: Suspect Has Cash and MasterCards not in His Name
Police then searched Mr. Stewart. They found a large amount of loose change in his pockets and located four MasterCards belonging in another individual’s name, not Mr. Stewart. Mr. Stewart told police the cards belonged to his cousin, who was staying around the corner. However, he did not know her address, so he allegedly told the police.
The officer then asked Mr. Stewart if the woman would say to the officer she knew Mr. Stewart. According to the report, Mr. Steward allegedly admitted she would not know him. He then reportedly admitted to breaking into at least two vehicles. According to police, he told officers he needed money because he was experiencing hard times.
Report: Suspect Identifies Burglarized Vehicles
Mr. Stewart then agreed to ride with an officer to identify which vehicles he had broken into. The officer secured him into the rear of his patrol vehicle. While doing so, Mr. Stewart allegedly told the officer his real name, stating that he had given the other officer the name of a family member. Police conducted a computer inquiry and learned that Mr. Stewart had an arrest warrant from the Steger police on a theft charge.
Police: Cameras Deter Additional Burglaries
While driving around the Lincolnwood Neighborhood, Mr. Stewart allegedly identified two vehicles that he broke into, according to police. Officers said he further confirmed walking down Hay and Kentucky Streets but noted too many cameras in the area, so he decided against breaking into any cars on those streets.
On another Street, he reportedly said too many people were outside, according to police.
According to police, Mr. Stewart ultimately was unable to identify other vehicles from which he allegedly took loose change.
Four Reports on This Felony Burglary to Motor Vehicle Arrest
An officer transported Mr. Stewart to the Park Forest Police Department and escorted him into the booking room. While conducting an inventory of his person, police found seven credit cards, two gift cards, and a Speedway cash fuel card, according to the report. We note three additional reports from other officers detailing alleged burglaries to two additional cars besides those recorded in this report.
About Police Reports
Please note that we repeatedly say “according to police” in these reports and often use “allegedly.” We are not asserting in any way that those police arrested and charged committed any offenses. We report on what is in the reports that the police furnish to us. As those accused are innocent until proven guilty, the burden is on prosecutors and police to prove all alleged crimes.
eNews Park Forest has continuously published the addresses of those arrested and will continue to do so. 5 ILCS 140/2.15 states that the governmental body (for these reports, the Police Department), shall release information on those charged, including their name, age, and address. This information is necessary to ensure the proper identity of those arrested.
Presumption of Innocence
An arrest does not mean that a person is guilty. The law presumes all those whom police arrest are innocent until proven guilty. It is the policy of eNews Park Forest not to remove items from the public record from publication. Suppose you find your name in the police reports. Our policy is that we will only add information relevant to the final disposition of the case at hand, e.g., “Mr. Smith was subsequently acquitted,” “Mr. Smith entered a guilty plea,” or “All charges against Mr. Smith were subsequently dropped.” We will do so upon receiving and verifying proof of such disposition.
We do not strike, “unpublish,” or delete news.
According to police, officers captured all the incidents in this report on body-worn and dash-mounted cameras at the respective scenes. All Park Forest police officers wear body-worn cameras. Officials typically abbreviate these devices as BWC in the reports.
We encourage persons wishing to leave anonymous information on any criminal matters, including narcotics or gang activity, to call the Park Forest Police Department Investigations Division at (708) 748-1309.
