Bond was set at $500,000 Friday for a Chicago man accused of breaking into a Hinsdale home in the 400 block of Woodside on March 9.
Franshawn Whittenburg, 50, of the 8400 block of South Peoria Street, is charged with one count of residential burglary, a Class 1 felony. Because of Whittenburg’s criminal history, if found guilty, he is subject to Mandatory Class X sentencing, which carries a sentence of six to 30 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
A neighbor alerted the homeowner about a vehicle backed into the home’s driveway at about 10:15 a.m., who then called Hinsdale police.
Officers discovered an open rear door next to the driveway, with damage to the handle. When officers entered the home, they saw multiple drawers opened and contents scattered about.
Among the items taken were a Sentry fire safe containing important family documents, a checkbook and multiple items of jewelry including cuff links, bracelets, rings and necklaces, among other items.
The incident was partially captured on video.
Hinsdale detectives located the suspect’s vehicle, parked and unoccupied, on the south side of Chicago. Detectives surveilled the vehicle until the suspect returned and drove to another part of the city, where police were able to box the car in and take the suspect into custody at about 5:25 p.m. Some of the stolen property from the home was recovered from the suspect.
“The arrest mere hours after the home burglary occurred speaks to our commitment to tenaciously pursue those that commit crimes in the community,” Hinsdale Police Chief Brian King said. “We would like to thank the Oak Brook, Bensenville and Willowbrook police departments for their assistance with the surveillance and arrest of Mr. Whittenburg and to our continuing partnership with DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin and his commitment to public safety in DuPage County.”
Whittenburg’s arraignment is scheduled for March 27 in front of Judge Mia McPherson.
This was the first residential burglary of the year reported to Hinsdale police. The community reported 14 burglaries in each of the last two years. The offender in this case was on parole for residential burglary.
