Publications & Sites 
La Grange police arrest two in connection with bike thefts
Brent C. Carlson
Updated: September 17, 2012 11:57AM
LA GRANGE — La Grange police have arrested two men in connection with recent bicycle thefts in the community.
Brent C. Carlson, 34, of 630 N. Park, LaGrange Park, and Adam P. Potesak, 27, of 3403 S. Cuyler Ave., Berwyn, were both taken into custody in the past week. Carlson faces charges of residential burglary and possession of burglary tools, while Potesak is charged with theft, criminal damage to property and resisting arrest.
Carlson was seen Aug. 6 at the Stone Avenue commuter station looking at bicycles. Surveillance revealed he walked to an area on the 500 block of South Park, where he took a bicycle from an open garage, police said.
Potesak was seen Aug. 9 at the Stone Avenue station looking at bicycles. He then walked to the area of La Grange Road and used bolt cutters to cut a lock of a bicycle outside the Burlington Avenue station, just as a Metra train arrived, police said. He was immediately arrested.
There have been more than 20 bicycle thefts in La Grange since the end of May, a trend police say has occurred in other communities along the Metra route. Carlson and Potesak were the primary suspects in the most recent thefts, police said.
Three bikes have been recovered and returned to their owners. Although lock cutters were used in some of the thefts, police said most bicycles stolen had low-end locks which were easily defeated.
Police recommend bicyclists record their serial number and other identifiers about their bicycles, and keep the information in a safe place. A photograph of the bike may also aid in its recovery.
Police Chief Michael Holub said it’s unlikely additional charges will be filed against Carlson and Potesak, though the two may be responsible for other bike thefts.
“We can’t say with 100 percent certainty this will clear the other cases, but with a great deal of probability they did these others,” he said. “These guys are in the system. They will both probably go away for three or four years and be off the streets.”
