A 16-year-old boy is in custody after he and a second suspect burglarized a gun store in Marengo and stole a firearm before fleeing from officers on foot Saturday morning.
The Marengo Police Department was alerted around 4:25 a.m. Saturday for a suspicious persons call at Marengo Guns, 20014 East Grant Highway in Marengo.
Marengo Police Department Sgt. Andrew Kjellgren said officers were told that the suspicious subjects appeared to be hiding near the business.
Officers arrived and spotted two subjects standing near a broken front window of the business.
It was confirmed that forced entry had been made to the gun store and the suspects stole one gun. The stolen gun has since been recovered.
The suspects fled on foot toward a nearby running vehicle, which was later determined to have been stolen, Kjellgren said.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, Woodstock Police Department and the Boone County Sheriff’s Office responded to assist with a perimeter and search.
One of the suspects, a 16-year-old boy, was located while attempting to leave the area around 5 a.m.,
The police department received a report around 8:20 a.m. of a stolen vehicle from the 1000 block of East Grant Highway, which is the same area where the burglary occurred.
Kjellgren said it is believed that both incidents are related.
The 16-year-old suspect, whose name is not being released because he is a minor, was charged with burglary, criminal damage to property, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a stolen vehicle and unlawful use of a weapon.
The second suspect involved has not been captured yet. It is unknown if the police have identified them.