[Gurnee, IL] – Three Gurnee teenagers were picked up early Wednesday morning following a mini-crime spree on the evening of February 9.

Gurnee Police received a call at 9:41 PM on February 9 from a resident in the 800 block of Delany Road who stated she had heard a loud bang at her side door. She looked out the window and saw a person running toward the road. A Gurnee firefighter relayed information that he saw three subjects running in that same area. Officers checked the area and located three teens walking in the area of Old Grand and First Street. The 15 year old and two 13 year old males at first denied any wrongdoing. When they were told their shoes matched impressions left in the snow outside the woman’s house they admitted to being there and playing a prank by knocking on the door and running away. They were released and sent on their way.

At 11:02 PM that night, officers responded to a residence in the 4200 block of Brown Circle for a report of a residential burglary. The female resident told officers she fell asleep around 7:30 PM and woke up around 10:30 PM. When she went to her kitchen she noticed her purse was missing. She began looking for her purse in the house and discovered lights on in the basement. She located her purse in the basement. She found that some cash was missing. She also found the deadbolt lock on the rear door had the key inside the lock. She looked outside and saw footprints in the snow leading away from her backdoor. That is when she called police. The officers followed the footprints to a residence in the 800 block of Charles Ave. There they located a rear door with a cut screen and damaged window. This was part of a duplex that appeared to be vacant. The officers continued to follow the footprints through a backyard in the 1000 block of Charles and into an apartment complex off Depot Road.

The footwear impressions at both crime scenes matched the shoes worn by the teens that were stopped in the area earlier that evening. At approximately 2:30 AM, officers went to the 15 year old teen’s residence and picked him up along with one of the 13 year old suspects. The other 13 year old suspect was picked up at his residence at approximately 5:41 AM on February 10.

All three teens were referred to Lake County Juvenile Court on two counts of residential burglary and one count of burglary. All three were booked and released to their parents.

Note: All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.