Code Red alert: Police looking for Swansea auto burglar

Swansea police have issued a Code Red alert after a series of auto burglaries in the village.

According to police, cars have been broken into in an area east of North 17th Street to Illinois 161 and Boul Avenue.

The crimes are happening in early to late evening hours and involve windows being smashed out of cars in order to get to valuables inside.

Police said they are following a number of leads. But they are asking residents to not leave valuable items in their cars, to be vigilant in watching for anything suspicious and to call 9-1-1 if they see anything unusual.

There is a reward of up to $1,000 available for anyone with information that leads to a felony arrest in the case. Contact 866-371-8477 if you have a tip for police.

This story was originally published October 5, 2015 at 7:10 AM with the headline "Code Red alert: Police looking for Swansea auto burglar."