Chicago-area man busted for trying to break into apartments: police

Published June 24, 2026 10:27 AM CDT

Jonny E. Hernandez-Mendoza | Palatine police

A Palatine man is facing charges after police say he tried to break into several apartments this month in the northwest suburb.

Palatine attempted burglaries

What we know:

Jonny Hernandez-Mendoza, 29, was arrested Thursday after an investigation into suspicious activity at residences in the 1700 block of North Rose Avenue, according to Palatine police.

Police said the attempted break-ins happened between June 5 and June 17 when residents reported seeing a man trying to break into ground-floor apartments during overnight hours. Several properties were damaged but entry was never made into the residences.

After an investigation, Hernandez-Mendoza was identified as a suspect tied to a series of similar incidents at the apartment complex dating back to December 2024. 

On Thursday, Hernandez-Mendoza was charged with five counts of attempted criminal trespass to a residence, five counts of disorderly conduct and one count of criminal damage to property.

What's next:

Hernandez-Mendoza has a court appearance scheduled for Aug. 3.

What you can do:

Palatine police are asking anyone who has experienced a similar incident to contact the investigations bureau at (847) 359-9000.

The Source: The information in this report came from the Palatine Police Department.

PalatineCrime and Public SafetyNews