METTAWA, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A police dog is credited with helping to foil a big jewel heist early Saturday morning from a Costco in north suburban Lake County.
Bear, a K9 from the Gurnee Police Department's Canine Team located and helped arrest three men who broke into the Costco in Mettawa and stole $20,000 worth of jewelry Jan. 4 at about 2:20 a.m., according to Sergeant Christopher Covelli of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Bear followed the scent of the stolen merchandise to a concrete wall in the parking lot, Covelli said.
"Canine Bear began to aggressively bark at them and the three immediately surrended and were taken into custody," he said.
The three offenders were transported to the Lake County Sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Division and charged with counts of burglary, criminal damage to property and possession of burglary tools.
Investigators say because the men had sophisticated burglary tools, police are looking into whether the men could be responsible for other recent thefts.