Video shows Elk Grove Village homeowner scaring off Camaro burglars

Camaro break-ins caught on camera

 Imagine waking up in the middle of the night and looking outside to find thieves trying to break into your car.  That’s exactly what happened to one Elk Grove Village homeowner — and the entire attempted break-in was caught on surveillance video.  Leslie Moreno has the latest on what neighbors say has become a growing problem in the area.

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. - A suburban Chicago homeowner says two people broke into his Camaro early Wednesday morning, but fled after he confronted them.

What we know:

Police in northwest suburban Elk Grove Village said officers responded at 4:52 a.m. to a disturbance in the 200 block of Wildwood Road after a caller reported someone broke into a car parked in their driveway.

When officers arrived, they learned the homeowner had scared off the suspects by banging on a window from inside the house.

Police said the suspects broke a window on the Camaro but did not get inside the car or steal it.

Surveillance video shared by the homeowner appears to show two people wearing hoodies walking toward the Camaro, breaking the window and then running away on foot after being confronted.

What they're saying:

Rob, the homeowner, says he woke up to loud noises, and when he looked out the window, he couldn’t believe it.

"It's a little concerning. It's a working neighborhood. People go to work first thing in the morning, around 5 o'clock in the morning, which's when people are out and about," he said.

Two suspects smashed the window of his Camaro that was parked in his driveway. 

Rob says he yelled and banged on his window hoping to scare them away. The suspects immediately took off running.

After he watched the video, he noticed something even more concerning.

"It appears they had a machine that you can plug in and reprogram the car, and it acts like it has keys," he said.

Rob said it made him think they knew what they were doing.

"Professionals someone knows what they're doing. From the internet, they can get it started in 10–15 seconds and then they're gone," he said.

Rob believes it’s part of an ongoing trend. 

He says other sports cars have repeatedly been targeted in recent months, including break-ins connected to a nearby dealership. 

"Seems they're targeting Camaros, the Dodge, Hellcats, SUVs. It's just resale on the street, shipping them to places if they get them in whole pieces.

He says this incident serves as a reminder to other people. 

Make sure your cameras are always on and keep an eye out for anything suspicious.

And here’s a message for the suspects.

"Go get a job. Just find something else to do. We're not going to stand for it. The authorities are looking for you, and hopefully they catch them soon."

The homeowner said he believes vehicle thefts and break-ins have increased in Elk Grove Village, especially involving Camaros.

He pointed to recent thefts from a dealership showroom at 175 North Arlington Heights Road and said one of his neighbors had their vehicle repeatedly targeted before it was eventually stolen from the driveway.

The homeowner also said police were able to recover fingerprints as evidence in his case.

What's next:

Police said they are looking into whether the Wednesday morning incident reflects a broader increase in burglary activity in Elk Grove Village.