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How a dropped wallet led to 4 arrests in string of Vernon Hills vehicle burglaries

A dropped wallet led to the arrest of four people in connection with several vehicle burglaries in the New Century Town subdivision of Vernon Hills, police said Tuesday.

According to police, eight vehicles were targeted Feb. 14 and 15 within a four- to five-block area in the subdivision.

In one instance, the burglarized vehicle was parked in a garage, and most of the vehicles were left unlocked. Nothing was taken in some instances, police said, but the vehicles were ransacked. A window was smashed in one vehicle.

On Feb. 15, police said, a resident reported that landscapers found a wallet in the general vicinity of the crimes. The wallet contained identification for Melanie N. Cobb, 23, of the 26000 block of North Hickory Avenue in Mundelein, and James N. Knowles, 22, of the 24000 block of West Clinton Avenue in Round Lake, authorities said.

Libertyville police encountered Cobb and Knowles at a restaurant Feb. 20. At the time, they were in possession of items taken in one of the Vernon Hills burglaries, according to police.

During the investigation, police said, they learned Cobb and Knowles were acquaintances of Mary J. Smaron, 31, and Michael Decker, 29, both of the 200 block of Colony Court in Vernon Hills. Police said they obtained a search warrant for that address and recovered several items that had been taken in the burglaries, including 14 credit cards and checkbooks.

Other items reported stolen included change, several GPS units, tools, a tool bag and a gym bag, police said. Only one of the incidents involved forced entry. In that case, a window was smashed and an item was taken from the rear seat.

Smaron and Decker were charged with possession of stolen property, possession of a controlled substance, possession of another's credit cards and child endangerment, police said.

Both were jailed on $100,000 bail. Cobb and Knowles were charged with possession of stolen property, and bail was set at $75,000. All four remained in custody Tuesday in the Lake County jail.

Police Chief Mark Fleischhauer said that without the resident's call about the found wallet, other burglaries likely would have occurred.

"It underscores the significance of immediately reporting things that are unusual or suspicious," he said.

Melanie N. Cobb
Michael Decker
Mary J. Smaron
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