Trio caught filming themselves destroying mailboxes, police say

Criminal charges might delay the big-screen debut of three Fox Valley men who police say made a home movie of themselves destroying mailboxes.

Campton Hills officers got a sneak peek of the work-in-progress Sunday after the men were caught in mid-production, police said.

"We would appreciate it if every criminal taped their own crime," Chief Greg Anderson said Monday. "It helps with evidence."

Charged with two counts each of misdemeanor criminal damage to property were 20-year-olds David J. Brainerd of St. Charles and Walter R. Shales and Stephen P. Smith of Elgin.

Anderson said a resident spotted the men damaging a mailbox in the area of Campton Ridge Drive early Sunday morning. The resident used his vehicle to trap the men in a driveway where they were parked, he said, until an officer already patrolling the area arrived seconds later.

According to police, the men were found with a video tying them to the destruction of 19 mailboxes.

It was apparently action-packed.

"They were kicking (the mailboxes) and running over them with their bodies," Anderson said. "They didn't use a baseball bat or anything."

Anderson said it's becoming increasingly common for crimes to be video-recorded. He attributed the trend to the popularity of Internet sites such as YouTube.com, where anyone can upload a home movie to the Web.

The men likely will face additional charges for some or all of the recorded crimes, which are believed to have taken place in the last several weeks, Anderson said. The mailboxes were valued at $50 to $75 each, he said.

Investigators also are asking anyone whose mailbox has been damaged recently to call (630) 584-0330.