5 agencies wonder if suspect is their guy too

Round Lake Park police say a man they captured on suspicion of trying to break into a house Thursday morning has drawn interest from five other Lake County law-enforcement agencies.

Police Chief George Filenko announced Friday that Ryan J. Mills, 21, of 95 E. Main St., Round Lake Park, is charged with two counts of burglary to motor vehicle, one count of attempted residential burglary, two counts of felony theft and one count of possession of burglary tools.

Filenko said the Lake County sheriff's office and police in Grayslake, Round Lake Beach, Round Lake Heights and Round Lake have questioned Mills in connection with other burglaries. No additional charges have been filed.

In Round Lake Park, Mills is accused of attempting to break into a house on the 500 block of Arbor Drive about 5:30 a.m. Thursday. Wearing a black knit ski cap and a dark jacket, Mills fled after making an unsuccessful effort to enter the home through a bedroom window, police said.

"There was a woman in (the bedroom) asleep," Filenko said. "When she heard the noise, she awoke and called police."

Cops found Mills within minutes at a gas station trash container near Hainesville Road and Washington Street. Filenko said Mills was wearing heavy work gloves over a latex pair when police arrived.

In addition, Filenko said, Mills had four pairs of latex gloves in his pants pockets, multipurpose Leatherman tools, a Sony digital camera, a credit card belonging to someone else and $50 in coins.

Before the attempted home break-in, Filenko said, Mills committed two car burglaries on the 400 block of Lakeshore Drive and the 300 block of Grandview Drive in Round Lake Park.

After gaining consent to enter Mills' Main Street apartment unit, authorities found a stereo, speakers, an iPod and other electronics that were reported stolen, Filenko said.

Mills was held Friday on a $75,000 cash bond in the Lake County jail in Waukegan.