O'FALLON, Ill. — Two juveniles were arrested and turned over to the juvenile court system after police said they were stealing cars near an O'Fallon, Illinois, elementary school last week.
O'Fallon police said they were called to the area of Estelle Kampmeyer Elementary School in the early morning hours of July 3 for a report of people trying to get into cars in the area. When they arrived, several people ran off.
Officers were eventually able to find two of the people — both of whom were juveniles — and two stolen cars. They also said one of the juveniles had a gun.
Both of the juveniles were taken to the St. Clair County juvenile court system. One of them was charged with unlawful possession of a stolen motor vehicle, burglary of a motor vehicle, unlawful possession of a firearm and resisting arrest. The other juvenile was charged with unlawful possession of a motor vehicle and resisting arrest.
Neither of the juveniles were identified.
O'Fallon police said they have seen an increase in this type of crime in the area. To combat these types of incidents, they provided the following tips:
- Lock your vehicles when they are not in use.
- Do not leave valuables in your vehicles, especially in plain sight.
- Never leave keys in your vehicle if you leave your vehicle.
- Try to make sure your vehicle is left in a well-lighted area.
"The subjects who are perpetrating these crimes are often not local residents, and as noted above, they are sometimes armed," a statement from police said. "Do not attempt to contact the subjects if you see something that seems out of place. Instead, immediately call 911 so an officer can be dispatched to investigate."
