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Glenview man charged with stealing famous painting
Michael Karabatsis
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Updated: December 23, 2012 10:59AM
EVANSTON
A Glenview man has been charged with stealing a famous oil painting and several prints from an Evanston home in April, police said Thursday.
Michael Karabatsis, 51, of 619 Pfingston Road, Glenview, was charged Wednesday with one count of felony home invasion, according to Evanston police.
An elderly couple was knocked to the ground and duct taped about 9 a.m. April 13 while Karabatsis and two still unidentified suspects stole four valuable pieces of artwork from the couple’s home in the 2200 block of Central Street in Evanston, police said.
The burglars made off with an oil paining and three prints. The painting and one of the prints are by Italian artist Giuseppe Guerreschi, who was known for putting on one-man shows in Chicago in the 1950s, police said. The Guerreschi works were valued between $50,000 to $100,000 each, according to the victims.
Police received a break in the case last month when detectives developed a lead resulting in the recovery of two paintings from a Morton Grove coin shop, Cmdr. Jay Parrott said in a release.
Karabatsis remained in Cook County Jail on $200,000 bail Thursday night, awaiting a court appearance Jan. 3 in Skokie.
Police are trying to identify the other two offenders in the home invasion. Anyone with information about the case is urged to call the Evanston detective bureau at (847) 866-5040.
Contributing: Sun-Times Media Wire
