Wilmette police caught four Chicago juveniles trying to steal high-end cars from a Green Bay Road Jaguar dealership over the weekend, and have charged all four in connection with the nighttime incident.
Deputy Chief Kyle Murphy said in a Feb. 27 press release that a patrol officer interrupted the attempted burglary at Imperial Motors, 721 Green Bay Road, in downtown Wilmette, shortly before 10:30 p.m. Saturday.
Police found an auto, stolen out of Chicago, in an alley behind the dealership, Murphy said in the release. Shortly thereafter, two of the four teens were caught as they left the building, which they had allegedly gotten into by breaking out a service door window. Two others tried to run away but were caught hiding under a porch on the 1500 block of Highland Avenue, just west of Imperial Motors, following a short chase on foot.
Murphy said Feb. 27 that the four, all 17-year-old boys, were petitioned to appear in juvenile court in Chicago that day.
He said three of the four boys were also identified previously as offenders in a Nov. 25 break-in at Imperial Motors. The three teens allegedly involved in that incident had additional petitions for the November burglary and auto theft, also on Feb. 27, he said.
In that incident, officials at the dealership said two cars, a 2014 silver Jaguar XF and a 2015 dark gray Jaguar XF, were taken from a service area between 5:09 p.m. and 5:11 p.m. that day. At the time, police said security video of the area showed four men come into the service and body shop area to take the vehicles, both of which had had their keys left inside.
Selle: Luxury cars are gone in less than 60 seconds Charles SelleLooking closely at the old flivver, it may be time for a new car.
Unlike some drivers, such as the thieves who stole luxury vehicles from a Libertyville dealership this week, I won't be breaking into a new car showroom and making off with a high-end Infiniti. I'll go through the painful process...
Looking closely at the old flivver, it may be time for a new car.
Unlike some drivers, such as the thieves who stole luxury vehicles from a Libertyville dealership this week, I won't be breaking into a new car showroom and making off with a high-end Infiniti. I'll go through the painful process...
(Charles Selle)Both Jaguars were later recovered on the west side of Chicago, Murphy stated in the release.
Although Wilmette police said last October that Imperial Motors officials reported another incident, the loss of an $83,000 Jaguar sometime between Oct. 14 and Oct. 22, Murphy said that investigators don't think that incident is connected with the Nov. 25 burglary.
"The Wilmette Police Department is working with other law enforcement agencies and believes that this crew is responsible for other burglaries and auto thefts in the Chicago metropolitan area," he said, adding that the offenders have a total of 72 prior juvenile arrests.
However, Murphy said he couldn't yet say with what communities Wilmette investigators are cooperating.
kroutliffe@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter: @pioneer_kathy
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