Police are investigating after suspects burglarized a garage and stole a pickup truck belonging to the Lake Villa Township supervisor before later crashing it in Zion.
Lake Villa Township Supervisor Daniel Venturi said the incident occurred Saturday evening at his residence near Martin School in unincorporated Lake Villa.
Suspects pried open Venturi’s locked garage service door and stole his DeWalt power tools, snow blower, air compressor and other tools.
The suspects also stole Venturi’s 2021 Ram pickup truck.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office confirmed they responded to Venturi’s residence in the 24700 block of West Dering Lane in unincorporated Lake Villa around 11:15 a.m. Sunday.
The Zion Police Department notified the sheriff’s office regarding a vehicle crash where the driver of the vehicle fled.
The crash occurred in the 1800 block of Sheridan Road in Zion.
Sheriff’s deputies went to Venturi’s residence after learning the vehicle was registered to him.
Sheriff’s deputies arrived and made telephone contact with Venturi. He reported that he believed his car was inside his garage and that he was out of town at the time, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies found an open garage door to the detached garage of his residence.
Sheriff’s evidence technicians processed both the stolen vehicle and the garage.
Venturi said his Ram pickup truck was totaled after the thieves crashed into a car dealer lot, totaling other vehicles as well.
No one is in custody in connection with the theft.
“I am sharing this because we all need to be vigilant regardless of how safe you think your neighborhood is. This is terrifying, this would have been a very different story if me or my wife came upon them in the act. If you see something CALL 911 immediately,” Venturi said on social media.