Wilmington, IL – A seemingly routine check at the Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area led to a significant discovery and subsequent arrests on Wednesday.
According to Illinois Conservation Police, officers stumbled upon an abandoned white sedan that had been reported stolen from Michigan the previous day. Inside the vehicle, officers found a myriad of stolen items including credit cards, syringes, and counterfeit checks, sparking a deeper investigation at the state park.
Authorities would later detained a man and a woman found near the scene, both of whom were allegedly involved in the vehicle’s theft and the possession of stolen property. The female suspect reportedly provided false identification and publicly displayed another individual’s birth date and name during her encounter with the police. She now faces multiple alleged charges including a Class 2 felony for unlawful possession of stolen motor vehicle, obstruction of identification, and unlawful display of credentials in a state park. Her accomplice faces similar charges.
Both suspects were transported to Wilmington Police Department for further processing and fingerprinting to confirm identities.
The Illinois Conservation Police continue their investigation, urging the public to report any suspicious activities in state parks. This incident underscores the ongoing issues of vehicle theft and identity fraud affecting communities across state lines.
