Teens charged in Hoffman Estates pit bull theft
After being tracked down by a Hoffman Estates man who claims they stole his two pit bulls, three Schaumburg teens have been charged with the crime.
Timothy W. Smith, 18, of the 1300 block of Forestdale Court, John C. Martel, 19, of the 1100 block of Charlene Lane and an unnamed female juvenile were arrested Thursday and charged with theft, Hoffman Estates police Sgt. Greg Poulos said.
Police said the three took the pair of dogs which had wandered away from a backyard around 3 p.m. on Jan. 11 on the 600 block of Lakeview Lane in Hoffman Estates.
Smith and Martell posted bond and are scheduled to appear in court March 12. The female was processed and released to her parents, Poulos added.
The puppies, Magu and Chulo, were both 7 months old, said owner Alvin Clark.
After following up on a couple of false leads, he got a tip which led him to a house in Hanover Park, where he said he confronted the Schaumburg residents. At that point, a chase began that ended in them seeking shelter at the Schaumburg police station.
Clark said Schaumburg police declined to get involved, telling him to take the matter to Hoffman Estates. The teens, meanwhile, told Clark they didn't have the dogs because they had sold then to a person in Crystal Lake, Clark said. The buyer, who had paid $200, returned the dogs after seeing registration papers.
Clark said the dogs got out through a gap in the fence. He promised that he will take closer care of them in the future.
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<li><a href="/story/?id=352525">Hoffman Estates' man's own detective work recovers his stolen dogs <span class="date">[01/21/10]</span></a></li>
<li><a href="/story/?id=351298">Hoffman Estates man offers $1,000 for safe return of puppies <span class="date">[01/16/10]</span></a></li>
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