THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2008
Man Suspected Of Numerous Burglaries Caught
An Arlington Heights man was arrested on Wednesday, May 7 for his alleged involvement in a string of burglaries that have occurred throughout the area over the last seven months.
According to Arlington Heights police, Piotr Jaworowski, 31, of 1118 N. Dale Ave., was identified by victims who viewed him during a physical line-up.
In October 2007, an armed robbery was reported at a Shell gas station in Prospect Heights. The offense marked the beginning of a crime spree that spanned a period of seven months and involved numerous police agencies from Cook and Lake County.
Police said Jaworowski allegedly targeted businesses including gas stations, convenience stores, liquor stores, and food markets.
A suspect and vehicle description were soon developed and disseminated to police departments throughout the Chicagoland area. A crime analyst from Palatine began to document the incidents and provided information for investigators to review.
A break in the case came when an officer with the Arlington Heights Police Dept. conducted a traffic stop on an offender that was similar in appearance to Jaworowski.
A task force was created with members from Arlington Heights, Winnetka, Lake Zurich, Prospect Heights, Palatine, Wheeling, Mt. Prospect, and the Buffalo Grove police departments with officers initiating a surveillance of Jaworowski. On Wednesday May 7, police followed Jaworowski from his residence in Arlington Heights through Cook County and into Lake County.
Police said Jaworowski allegedly targeted a gas station in unincorporated Lake County. He was reportedly observed entering the station, where he produced a weapon and robbed the clerk. He then entered his vehicle and fled the scene with plain-clothes officers following.
The Lake County Sheriff's Dept. subsequently conducted a traffic stop on Jaworowski. Several Lake County Sheriff officers without incident took him into custody. Lake County deputies and investigators from assisting agencies recovered the weapon used as well as the majority of the United States currency that was thrown out the vehicle window as police approached.
Jaworowski was transported to the Lake County Sheriff's Dept. During questioning, he allegedly admitted he was the person responsible for committing in excess of seventeen armed robberies in the past seven months, police said.
Jaworowski was taken for a bond hearing in Lake County on Friday where bond was set at $750,000. His next scheduled court date is Thursday, June 5 at 1:30 p.m. in a Lake County courtroom. According to Arlington Heights Police Cmdr. Ken Galinski, Jaworowski will be detained in Lake, but all alleged Cook County offenses would be filed in conjunction with the alleged Lake County offenses.