Police officers responding to an alarm call arrested a Lindenhurst man who had forced entry and was caught in the middle of burglarizing a bank in Lake Villa Friday morning.
The Lake Villa Police Department responded around 7:23 a.m. Friday to First American Bank, 500 East Grand Avenue, for a report of a bank alarm.
Lake Villa Police Department Lt. James DeCaro said officers arrived and discovered forced entry to three glass doors on the west side of the building, including the main entrance doors.
Police called for additional assistance from surrounding agencies to help set up a perimeter due to noises being heard from the inside. The bank was closed at the time.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Lindenhurst, Fox Lake and Antioch police departments responded.
A police drone was deployed into the bank to search for anyone inside, DeCaro said.
Police deployed an entry team to search the interior and they found the alarm panel and speakers were damaged.
Officers searched and found a man, later identified as Christopher M. Knuth, 44, of Lindenhurst, lying behind a large object in a room on the northwest corner of the building.
DeCaro said Knuth appeared to be sleeping and ignored verbal commands given by officers to surrender.
A Lake County Sheriff’s Office canine unit was brought in and Knuth eventually complied before being taken into custody without further incident.
The remainder of the bank was searched and no one else was found inside, DeCaro said.
It was determined by investigators that Knuth had grabbed a nearby decorative brick and used it to break the glass to enter the bank.
“We are thankful that this incident ended without anyone getting hurt and we appreciate our law enforcement partners for their quick response and assistance,” Lake Villa Police Chief Rochelle Tisinai said.
Video evidence showed Knuth, who provided no reason for his actions, acted alone, DeCaro said. The bank remained closed as of 11:30 a.m. while awaiting repairs.
Knuth was charged with burglary, a Class 2 felony, and criminal damage to property, a Class 4 felony.
Knuth was being transported to the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan for a First Appearance Court hearing on Friday afternoon.