Carpentersville work crew helps foil burglary

A heads-up crew doing a controlled burn in Carpentersville over the weekend helped thwart a residential burglary, police said Tuesday.

Douglas A. Escobar, 18, of the 1400 block of Plainview Road, Carpentersville, was arrested Saturday afternoon and charged with burglary, according to police.

The felony carries a 4- to 15-year prison term if convicted, though probation also is an option.

Carpentersville Police Commander Timothy Bosshart said a crew that was monitoring a controlled burn in the 1500 block of Northlake Parkway on the village's south side noticed two teens running through the woods at about 12:45 p.m. Saturday.

“They dropped some items, including a woman's purse,” Bosshart said. “It looked suspicious.”

Police responding to the scene also were flagged down by a homeowner who had just discovered a burglary took place, Bosshart said.

Escobar and a 17-year-old were caught in the 1400 block of Plainview.

Only Escobar was charged with the burglary, in which he is accused of breaking a window to get in the home to steal the purse and other items, Bosshart said.

Escobar is due in court on March 4.