Evanston police say a man returning home from a walk with his family Friday evening found a burglar inside his car parked in the 200 block of Dempster Street.
Police say the man confronted the burglar, who ran off with the owner in pursuit. Other members of the owner’s family called police, who searched the area and found a suspect matching the description of the thief in an alley in the 1400 block of Judson Avenue.
The car owner identified the suspect as the burglar and the suspect, identified as Joseph Wesley Phifer, 17, of 911 Ashland Ave., has now been charged with one felony count of auto burglary. He’s scheduled to appear Tuesday in Skokie district court.