A fourteen year-old boy was arrested in Aurora, IL near Chicago for setting fire to a dozen vehicles at a used car dealership. The teen was taken to the Kane County Juvenile Justice Center and charged with two felony counts of arson. Charges are also expected to be filed against a second juvenile suspect in the case. Because of the ongoing investigation on the teen dealership vehicle fires, an Aurora Police Department spokesman was unable to comment on how the police had tracked down the two juvenile suspects.
A total of three teen dealership vehicle fires were set in the gated lot in the Chicago area, causing more than $49,000 in damages to the twelve vehicles. The fire department and police responded to what was originally believed to be a structure fire at Charles Street and Highland Avenue but soon discovered that they were dealing with burning vehicles, instead. The torched vehicles included a van, two SUVs, and nine sedans; some of them suffered extensive damage from the flames. Several nights earlier, a tire was set on fire in a parking lot nearby; the police and fire department are not sure if the incidents are related.
It’s believed that the teen dealership vehicle fires were set in three cars; the flames then spread to the other nine vehicles. According to investigators, there was no smell of accelerant but they also noted that vehicle fires can be started by simply using a flame. The owner reported that thieves stealing car parts, including catalytic converters, have targeted his business several times previously. He has worked with the Aurora Police Department in an attempt to halt the break-ins; police reported that they had even used video surveillance to no avail. It’s unclear if video cameras caught footage of the teenage arsonists.
This auto dealer is not a client of Stealth Monitoring. Stealth proactive live surveillance can detect and deter crime in Chicago and other cities in the U.S. while reducing security guard and other expenses. A Stealth operator could have seen unusual activity like teen dealership vehicle fires, activated an audible warning to deter the young criminals, and called the local police.
Please contact Stealth today for more information to protect your auto dealership or other property. Visit our web site to see actual videos of criminals being apprehended at car dealerships and other commercial businesses.
