Wilmette homeowners along Greenleaf Avenue and Sheridan Road are among the latest targets in a string of bicycle thefts that has stretched across the North Shore since early July, according to police reports compiled by The Record North Shore.
Three more bike thefts appeared in the Aug. 4–16 reporting period, adding to at least seven similar incidents across Wilmette, Winnetka and Kenilworth since July 1. Most involved unlocked bikes or open garages.
The latest: a bicycle taken Sunday, Aug. 16 from an open garage in the 400 block of Greenleaf Avenue in Wilmette, an unlocked bike stolen Aug. 5 from the 1600 block of Sheridan Road in Wilmette, and another unlocked bike taken between 7:30 and 8 p.m. Aug. 10 from the McDonald's at 858 Green Bay Road in Winnetka.
Check fraud costs Winnetka residents nearly $6,000
Two check-washing cases hit Winnetka mailboxes. A mailed check stolen between July 21 and Aug. 5 was altered and cashed for more than $5,000. A second stolen check, reported Aug. 13, was altered and cashed for $900. Combined losses: at least $5,900.
The incidents follow a July 18 arrest in Wilmette, where an individual was taken into custody for allegedly going through residents' mail in an apartment building in the 500 block of 5th Street.
Wilmette: car chase, retail theft, porch piracy
A man was arrested Aug. 14 after allegedly crashing a car into a tree near Hibbard and Illinois roads in Wilmette, fleeing attempted traffic stops and leading officers on a foot chase before being taken into custody.
Also on Aug. 14, credit cards and cash were stolen from an unlocked car in the 100 block of Lake Avenue, and items were taken from a store in the 1500 block of Sheridan Road. On Aug. 4, electronic devices were stolen overnight from a building in the 1300 block of Sheridan Road, and a package was taken from a front porch in the 500 block of Ridge Road.
Northfield, Kenilworth and Glencoe
In Northfield, an individual was arrested Aug. 7 after a car accident with injuries at Old Willow Road and Somerset Lane, allegedly for driving without valid insurance, registration or a driver's license.
Kenilworth and Glencoe reported no incidents for this period.
A Flock license-plate-reading camera was also removed from a pole near Lake Cook Road and Skokie Valley Road in nearby Highland Park on Aug. 7. The police report does not specify whether the removal was theft, vandalism or an authorized action. Wilmette's Village Board has approved installation of 22 Flock units in the village by the end of 2026, according to the village's ALPR program page.
The reports are drawn from police-activity summaries prepared by local departments and do not represent a complete listing of all police activity.
