Two men charged with stealing two trucks from Lake County company

Two Chicago men were arrested early Saturday and charged in a raid on a Lake County construction company that resulted in the theft of two trucks.

Assistant State's Attorney Ken Lorenz said Christopher Ferraresi, 30, and Patrick Markle, 31, both face up to seven years in prison if convicted.

Lorenz said the pair went to the headquarters of Meridian Construction at 1415 Laura Lane in unincorporated Lake County just after 1 a.m. Saturday.

Lorenz said Ferraresi dropped Markle off outside the company's vehicle yard, and Markle went inside and found the keys to a dump truck.

Markle drove the truck through two gates at the yard, Lorenz said, and with Ferraresi driving his own car behind him headed back toward Chicago.

But the truck had not been winterized and the engine died on the Edens Expressway spur near Deerfield, Lorenz said.

The pair returned to the company's yard, Markle went inside again and this time took the keys to a pickup truck and a MP3 player he found on a desk, Lorenz said.

A Lake County sheriff's deputy on patrol saw the pickup being driven out of the yard and stopped it because the deputy thought it unusual to have activity at that time of the morning, Lorenz said.

The deputy placed Markle under arrest because his driver's license is suspended, Lorenz said, and then discovered burglary tools and the stolen MP3 player in the truck.

Lorenz said Markle confessed to the theft of both trucks, named Ferraresi as his accomplice and police arrested Ferraresi later in the morning.

Both are charged with burglary and theft, while Markle is also charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle and possession of burglary tools.

Associate Judge Sarah Lessman set Ferraresi's bond at $25,000 and Markle's at $50,000 and ordered them both to return to court Dec. 9.