ST. JOHN – A 17-year-old is in custody on charges of alleged burglary and theft after officers found an abandoned stolen dirt bike in the woods Wednesday afternoon.
According to St. John Police, it happened around 5 p.m. when officers were called to the 8700 Block of Wicker Ave to investigate a report of a dirt bike allegedly hidden under some leaves. Officers arrived shortly after to find the bike was missing from the location.
Around the same time another officer was responding to a burglary call in the 8300 Block of Heron Lake Road for a missing dirt bike, Red Honda model CRF250R, matching the description of the previous call.
Officers later spotted the bike speeding on Wicker Ave and attempted to stop it before it drove off into the woods in the 8800 Block of Patterson. Police later discovered the bike leaned up against some trees inside the woods with matching serial number of the stolen dirt bike.
The bike was later released to its owner.
With the assistance of two St. John Police K-9 units and the Lake County Sheriff’s helicopter, a suspect was discovered matching the description of the dirt bike driver in the 11900 Block of Heron Lake Road.
The driver, a 17-year-old boy, was taken into custody at a residence without incident. He was charged with multiple felonies including Burglary, Theft, Resisting Law Enforcement with a vehicle, and Possession of Marijuana.
