Crime spree ends with empty gas tank

A 31-year-old St. Charles man who stole a BMW over the weekend was able to elude officers while on a crime spree, but an empty gas tank finally left him high and dry, police said.

Yorkville police officers found Brian D. Nord, of the 300 block of Second Avenue in St. Charles, in the fuel-less BMW on the side of the road nearly 20 miles from the St. Charles parking lot where authorities say he stole the vehicle Saturday.

The owner of the 1998 BMW's son and his friend left the car running when they went into a convenience store on the 1700 block of West Main Street in St. Charles on Saturday afternoon, and as they were leaving the shop, the two saw the vehicle take off, police said.

A state police alert was sent out about 2:30 p.m., and within an hour a Kane County sheriff's officer spotted the vehicle near Huntley but was unable to stop it, officials said.

About 5 p.m., the crime spree continued at a Batavia Kohl's store, where security guards took down the license plate of a vehicle involved in a vacuum theft, according to police. Nord is on surveillance tape stealing the vacuum, police said.

It wasn't until 9 p.m. that Yorkville officers found Nord inside the BMW on the shoulder of Route 47 south of Galena road, police said.

According to the police's timeline, Nord drove the vehicle at least 55 miles over approximately six hours before running out of gas.

He was originally taken into custody and held in lieu of $50,000 bail, but the St. Charles Police Department obtained a warrant for an additional charge Wednesday, upping the bail to $250,000.

Nord is charged with vehicle theft conspiracy, unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle and driving with a revoked license.

There is a possibility of additional charges, police said.

The St. Charles Police Department is reminding residents not to leave keys in their vehicle while “running into” a gas station or business.