Police: Two men tried to steal truck

Authorities say two men who tried to steal a pickup truck from a Huntley repair shop Sunday night are suspects in at least six vehicle thefts in January and February.

The men, police say, were about to drive off with a 1987 GMC pickup parked outside Marty's Automotive on Wolf Drive when two employees heard them and ran outside. The men from Marty's were able to stop the would-be thieves and keep them there until police arrived; a police spokesman said the employees didn't physically force the suspects to the ground or use weapons.

Police arrested the men, and during the subsequent investigation linked them to a car theft on Jan. 20 and five more on Feb. 20.

According to police, all the vehicles that were stolen were unlocked and had the keys inside. In the Feb. 20 spree, one of the men stole a vehicle, drove it to his next destination, then stole another vehicle — stealing five vehicles in succession over the course of the night, police said.

Huntley police found the last car two weeks ago, Deputy Chief Todd Fulton said. All of the vehicles have been recovered.

“We don't believe they were working in any kind of ring,” Fulton said. The vehicles, he said, “weren't dismantled. We believe they were just using them for transportation.”

The men are not suspects in any other vehicle thefts or crimes in the area, Fulton said.

Christopher R. Brown, 25, of Huntley and Paul R. Soky, 23, were charged with attempted theft, a misdemeanor, and unlawful possession of a stolen motor vehicle, a felony. Soky is homeless and had been staying at various homes in the area, Fulton said.

Police say Brown and Soky were partners in the Jan. 20 theft of a 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe. Soky was not with Brown during the Feb. 20 spree, police said.

Authorities may file additional charges stemming from the earlier thefts and are looking into whether Brown had accomplices on Feb. 20, according to Fulton.

Brown and Soky were taken to McHenry County jail Monday morning.