Residents of rural Marengo aren`t quite sure what to make of recent disclosures that police believe local teenagers are responsible for at least 48 burglaries in McHenry County.
They agree, however, that the news seems out of place in their community of 4,768. ”I was surprised because things are so laid back here,” said Maggie Thielen, a clerk at a Marengo video store.
The community learned of the investigation Feb. 19 when sheriff`s police went into 400-student Marengo High School and picked up four students in classrooms. They rounded up three others at home or at work.
Questioning uncovered information that at least six youths, all believed to be Marengo High School students or recent graduates, were involved in about $20,000 worth of burglaries in the last 18 months, investigators said.
The shock that hit the town was made worse by what some said was a teenage tendency to exaggerate things. As one student put it, ”After it hit the newspapers everything got blown out of proportion-kids had more people being arrested than actually were and more stuff stolen than was.”
None of the six youths has yet been charged.
Lt. Les Kottke of the sheriff`s police, who is heading the investigation, said he has given the youths a few days to persuade their accomplices to return as much of the stolen computer equipment and auto accessories as possible before deciding what charges to place.
Police have recovered about $5,000 worth of stolen goods, he said.
Kottke also wants to learn the names of other ring members and those who fenced the property.
”I`ve told the youths that they can go easy on themselves and try to help us, and I will wait until Wednesday or Thursday to see what they come up with,” Kottke said.
Among the crimes that police attribute to the ring are two break-ins at the same Marengo area elementary school; three at a nearby restaurant; 13 at Marengo area mobile homes and at least 30 at vehicles parked at shopping centers, theaters and other entertainment areas in the Woodstock and Crystal Lake areas.
Sheriff`s investigators say the youths branched out to Boone and Winnebago Counties for other car thefts of telephones and stereo equipment.
”I was informed last week that police wanted to question one of our students and that was the first I learned of this,” said Marengo High School Principal Jerry Trickett.
”It was a surprise to me that it occurred. I didn`t expect students to be involved in a theft ring. Beyond that, I have no comment.”
”Marengo is a small town,” said Ald. Mary Alger (3rd), ”and this was done right under our noses.”
Police Chief Peter Bigalke said there is a lesson to be learned by parents.
”The message is that when your son or daughter starts coming home with property like new tires and expensive car phones and stereo equipment when they only work a minimal amount of hours, you better start asking some questions,” Bigalke said. ”I have a daughter in the school and if she came home with an expensive new stereo, I`d want to know where it came from.
”These youths are all from good families and hadn`t been in trouble with us before,” Bigalke said. ”I think this was a thrill type of thing where they tried it once and got away with it, so it just snowballed.”
