Cops Nab Two Alleged Burglars From Logan Square Break-Ins

LOGAN SQUARE — Shakespeare District (14th) police officers arrested two men this week accused of breaking into homes or garages.

Around 1:15 p.m. Thursday, Frank Ortiz was arrested after he was identified as the man who’d gotten into a home in the 2600 block of West Altgeld Street through the back window and took property, according to Officer Ana Pacheco, a Chicago Police spokeswoman.

Pacheco said police officers, who were responding to the burglary call, saw Ortiz leave the home and run away. He was chased by those officers and arrested in the 2500 block of North Maplewood. It’s unclear what the property was, but Pacheco said it was recovered. 

Ortiz, 52, of the 2400 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, was charged with one felony count of residential burglary. He was scheduled to appear in Central Bond Court at 2600 South California Avenue on Friday.

Meanwhile, officers from a specialized robbery team nabbed Gregory Bowers after he was identified as the man who’d burglarized or tried to enter three homes or garages on the same block in June, police said.

Pacheco said Bowers had entered a garage in the 1900 block of North Washtenaw on June 5-6 during the overnight hours. Police say Bowers had also pried the door of another building open on that same block around 4:50 a.m. on June 6, and took items out of the garage. Police also say Bowers had attempted to enter another building on the block around 6:25 a.m. on June 15, but he was “interrupted by a resident.”

Bowers, of the 2800 block of North Drake, was charged with one felony count of attempted burglary, three felony counts of burglary and one misdemeanor count of simple assault. He appeared in Central Bond Court at 2600 South California Avenue on Thursday and is being held in Cook County Jail on a $50,000 bond, according to Cook County Sheriff’s office records. Bowers is scheduled to appear before a judge on July 17.

The Shakespeare Police District (14th) tweeted about Bowers’ arrest on Thursday.