Lake County sheriff’s 911 dispatchers are being credited for their work in helping law enforcement track down a vehicle that was stolen from a gas station in Beach Park Saturday morning.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 7:35 a.m. Saturday to the Casey’s, 39131 North Sheridan Road in Beach Park, for a report of a stolen vehicle.
Lake County sheriff’s 911 telecommunicators received a report of a vehicle that had just been stolen from the gas station, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli.
Dispatchers began obtaining crucial information from the caller and used the Flock Safety license plate reader system to search for the vehicle using only the make and model because the caller did not know their license plate number, Covelli said.
“Due to their diligence, telecommunicators were able to locate the stolen vehicle, a grey Ford pickup truck, as it passed through several Flock cameras,” he said.
Dispatchers then issued a broadcast to regional law enforcement agencies and continued providing updates as the vehicle was detected by additional Flock cameras traveling southbound on Route 41.
Covelli said officers with the Northfield Police Department located the stolen vehicle around 8:30 a.m. in the area of Interstate 94 and Tower Road.
The stolen Ford was successfully recovered and the offender, Alejandro M. Gonzalez, 37, of Chicago, was apprehended, Covelli said.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office reviewed the case and approved charges against Gonzalez for possession of a stolen motor vehicle, theft and driving while license suspended. He also had an active arrest warrant for retail theft.
“This is an excellent example of the professionalism and skill our sheriff’s telecommunicators demonstrate every single day,” Sheriff John D. Idleburg said.
“Their ability to quickly gather critical information, leverage technology, and coordinate with officers in the field played a key role in the safe recovery of the stolen vehicle and the apprehension of the offender. We are fortunate to have such a dedicated group of sheriff’s telecommunicators working behind the scenes to keep our community safe,” Idleburg said.
Gonzalez remains held in the Lake County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court again on Tuesday for a hearing on a petition to revoke his pre-trial release in another case.