Police chased down three teenage suspects, one as young as 13 years old, and arrested them after they burglarized vehicles and fled from officers in Zion.
The Zion Police Department responded around 10:25 p.m. on October 3 to the 2800 block of Gabriel Avenue in Zion for a vehicle burglary in progress.
Zion Police Department Lt. Derek Zaloudek said a witness told officers that they saw four people collectively burglarizing an unlocked vehicle.
The witness said the suspects triggered a motion-activated light in the alleyway, which is what caught their attention to the crime.
Zaloudek said officers found other burglarized vehicles in the nearby area during their investigation.
Officers located the suspects the witness described and they fled in different directions upon police approaching them.
Officers gave chase and arrested a 13-year-old boy, a 17-year-old boy and Tyrone Marshall, 18, of Zion.
Property from the burglarized vehicles was recovered from Marshall’s possession, Zaloudek said.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office approved one count of burglary against Marshall.
Marshall was not transported to first appearance court and was instead immediately released from custody after being given a future court date.
Burglary, which is different than residential burglary, is a non-detainable offense in the SAFE-T Act.
Some defendants are still transported in custody to first appearance court where a judge sets conditions before they are released, even if they are charged with a non-detainable offense.
“Officers seeking charging assistance from the State’s Attorney’s Office will confer with their personnel in these situations to determine if that appearance for court ordered provisions is appropriate or not,” Zaloudek told Lake and McHenry County Scanner.
Zaloudek said that officers conferred with the state’s attorney’s office and their office presumably determined that step was not necessary in this case and the 14-day window for an initial appearance was appropriate.
The juveniles arrested were released to their parents pending further investigation.
The police department says residents are reminded to take steps to secure their vehicles as best as possible.
Residents should not leave keys or key fobs in a vehicle and lock their vehicle when it is unattended.
Residents should also remove valuables from their vehicles and park near a lighting source.