PALOS HEIGHTS, IL—A Blue Island man is accused of stealing construction materials on the grounds of Shepard High School, where a new field house is currently under construction. Quirino Torres-Sanchez, 43, is facing a felony theft charge.
School officials notified Palos Heights police on March 9 that the construction site for a new field house had been burglarized over the weekend. A significant amount of construction materials, including thousands of dollars worth of bundled pipe and steel beams, was reported stolen from a secured gated area. There were also attempts to enter locked storage containers on site.
Officers reviewed exterior surveillance footage from the school. A vehicle was observed entering school property the afternoon of March 7, accessing the construction area. The surveillance footage showed the truck leaving with construction materials, police said.
Through license plate reader technology, investigators were able to identify the vehicle. Police said the truck was registered to a Blue Island address, where officers observed construction materials consistent with those reported stolen. Police said the registered owner, later identified as Torres-Sanchez, denied being involved.
Detectives canvassed area metal recycling facilities until they located a facility where the driver, his vehicle, and construction materials were allegedly spotted the day of the burglary. Facility employees identified him through a photo lineup, police said.
Torres-Sanchez was taken into custody at his Blue Island residence. After being advised of his rights, police said Torres-Sanchez provided a statement admitting his involvement.
The Cook County State’s Attorney approved felony charges. Torres-Sanchez was charged and released pending his initial court appearance Thursday at the Bridgeview Courthouse.
A Blue Island man is accused of stealing construction materials on the grounds of Shepard High School, where a new field house is currently under construction. Quirino Torres-Sanchez, 43, is facing a felony theft charge.
School officials notified Palos Heights police on March 9 that the construction site for a new field house had been burglarized over the weekend. A significant amount of construction materials, including thousands of dollars worth of bundled pipe and steel beams, was reported stolen from a secured gated area. There were also attempts to enter locked storage containers on site.
Officers reviewed exterior surveillance footage from the school. A vehicle was observed entering school property the afternoon of March 7, accessing the construction area. The surveillance footage showed the truck leaving with construction materials, police said.
Through license plate reader technology, investigators were able to identify the vehicle. Police said the truck was registered to a Blue Island address, where officers observed construction materials consistent with those reported stolen. Police said the registered owner, later identified as Torres-Sanchez, denied being involved.
Detectives canvassed area metal recycling facilities until they located a facility where the driver, his vehicle, and construction materials were allegedly spotted the day of the burglary. Facility employees identified him through a photo lineup, police said.
Torres-Sanchez was taken into custody at his Blue Island residence. After being advised of his rights, police said Torres-Sanchez provided a statement admitting his involvement.
The Cook County State’s Attorney approved felony charges. Torres-Sanchez was charged and released pending his initial court appearance Thursday at the Bridgeview Courthouse.
"Detectives did a really nice job with this one and spent a day going to countless metal scrap yards to finally locate the truck with the pipe," Deputy Chief John Paritzke told Patch.
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