K9 Tracks Down Trio Of Fleeing Burglars In Mettawa

METTAWA, IL — A police dog helped track down a trio of men who broke into warehouse discount store and stole nearly $20,000 worth of jewelry Saturday, authorities said. Around 2:20 a.m., deputies from the Lake County sheriff's office were dispatched to the Costco at 25901 North Riverwoods Road where a burglar alarm had been activated, according to a release from the sheriff's office. The first deputy to arrive noticed broken glass and a security door left propped open.

The deputies called in nearby police agencies to help set up a perimeter around the Costco, according to the sheriff's office. Before the building was surrounded, Illinois State Police got a call of three people running eastbound across Interstate 94. The trio ran toward an Illinois Department of Transportation utility truck parked at the northbound exit ramp of Interstate 94 and Route 60. After seeing the IDOT truck, the three fleeing suspects dropped the bags and ran south, according to the sheriff's office.

With no police dog from the sheriff's office on duty, K9 Bear and his handler from the Gurnee Police Department were called to the scene. The dog tracked about a scene about 1,600 meters south to a concrete support wall below an overhead sign on the interstate. The sheriff's office reported three men had been trying to hide, but they surrendered after Bear began to bark and were taken into custody.

Joseph Page, 24, of the first block of North Sheridan Road in Waukegan, Cortez Morrow, 37, of the first block of East Garfield Boulevard in Chicago, and Clarence Blanchard, 26, of the 500 block of North Lawler Avenue in Chicago, were each charged with burglary, criminal damage to property and possession of burglary tools.

According to the sheriff's office, deputies found burglary tools and nearly $20,000 worth of jewelry that had been stolen from the Costco in the bags ditched on the interstate by the fleeing trio. Facemasks and gloves were also found near the bags.

In addition to Gurnee police, personnel from Illinois State Police and the police departments of Grayslake, Lake Forest, North Chicago, Park City and Vernon Hills, assisted the sheriff's office, according to the release.

The three men were due to appear in court for a bond hearing Saturday.