WILMETTE – Four 17-year-old boys from Chicago were arrested in an alleged break-in at Imperial Motors, the Jaguar dealership on the 700 block of Green Bay Road in Wilmette, during the evening of Feb. 25.
A Wilmette police officer interrupted the burglary in progress at 10:23 p.m., according to a police news release dated Feb. 27. The suspects are accused of parking a stolen vehicle in the alley behind Imperial Motors and breaking into the business by smashing a glass window in a service door.
The police said that four teenagers fled the crime scene on foot and two boys were immediately arrested as they left the building. The two others fled to the 1500 block of Highland Avenue and were found by the police hiding under a porch, according to the news release.
Three of the four teens are believed to have been involved with another burglary of Imperial Motors on November 25, 2016, according to the police. In that case, the boys allegedly stole two cars that were later recovered on the west side of Chicago.
The four teenagers will appear in juvenile court on Feb. 27.
The Wilmette Police Department stated that it believes suspects are responsible for other burglaries and auto thefts throughout Chicagoland, and the police are working with other law enforcement agencies. Imperial Motors is the ninth car dealership to be hit by thieves in the Chicago area in 2017, according to ABC-7 Chicago.