Burbank man arrested, charged in series of car thefts

Police connected a 19-year-old Burbank man to a string of car break-ins and thefts reported last month in Burbank, police said.

Chad Shillinglaw was charged in a 26-count criminal complaint that includes 11 counts of burglary, nine counts of petty theft, three counts of receiving stolen property and one count each of possessing a controlled substance, grand theft and identity theft, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

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He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Shillinglaw reportedly stole GPS devices, purses and electronics from cars — many of which were unlocked and parked in underground residential garages — within the area bordered by Grismer Avenue, Peyton Avenue, Landis Street and San Fernando Boulevard, said Burbank Police Sgt. Claudio Losacco.

The Los Angeles County Superior Court complaint lists 20 victims, one of which is a business.

Investigators identified Shillinglaw, who was on probation for a series of commercial burglaries in Burbank in 2014, as a suspect after reviewing security footage and conducting surveillance.

On Jan. 26, investigators conducted a compliance check at his girlfriend’s Burbank home, where he was staying, and recovered “several thousand dollars” worth of stolen property, Losacco said.

Police are working to locate the victims.

Shillinglaw is being held in lieu of $625,000 bail and is due in court next month, Losacco said.

Burbank police reminded residents to lock their cars and remove or hide valuables.