Quite a Night for Manteno as Public Works Department Burglarized

On Monday, October 16, just after midnight, a Village of Manteno Department of Public Works vehicle was stolen from the DPW facility at 10555 N. Maple Street, Manteno. The vehicle stolen was involved in a vehicle pursuit in the Village of Wilmington, where the pursuit was terminated.

Manteno Police were contacted by Wilmington Police as to the village vehicle being involved. While determining the status of the involved vehicle, two more Village of Manteno Public Works trucks drove past a Manteno Police Department Officer, who attempted to stop the vehicles, but failed to do so.

The Manteno officer then was assisted by the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Police in attempting to stop the vehicles. Both departments terminated the vehicle pursuit after one of the vehicles was located parked and unoccupied in the area of 6000N and 3000E Roads in rural Bourbonnais. The other vehicle eluded police.

The Department of Public Works building was checked and found to have been forcibly entered, plus two Ford F250 trucks the Manteno and Kankakee County Sheriff’s Police attempted to stop were found to have been stolen, as well. During the investigation into the burglary, a male person of interest was established, and a female also was observed on surveillance video, which was disseminated to agencies involved.

The Peotone Police Department located the male subject and detained him for agents of the Tri-County Auto Theft Task Force. He then was transported to the Manteno Police Department for further interview. After he was interviewed, agents observed a female outside the police department, who was wearing clothing identified on the burglary video. The female then was interviewed and subsequently arrested for her involvement.

The following two subjects were arrested for the burglary to the DPW building and the theft of three vehicles: Zachary P. Palmer, 23, from Coal City, and Shannon Palmer, 40, from the same address.

Both individuals were transported to the Jerome Combs Detention Center for a court appearance and are considered innocent of any charges until proven guilty in a court of law. This case currently is being investigated.

Agencies involved in the investigation of this case are the Manteno Police Department, Kankakee County Sheriff’s Police, Kankakee Police Department, Peotone Police Department, Wilmington Police Department, and the Tri-County Auto Theft Task Force.