Arrested Youth Is Possible Link To Car Theft

Coeur d’Alene police officers investigating a series of car burglaries got a break in the case Wednesday when they arrested a teenager with a pile of stolen possessions.

Now all that’s left is to find the victims.

Car stereo equipment, a handgun and 14 cigarette lighters were among the items recovered, said Capt. Carl Bergh. Police said they have matched most of the items to recent complaints of car burglaries, but have not figured out where the in-dash, car cigarette lighters were stolen from.

None of the recent car burglary complaints included missing lighters, Bergh said.

“If there are any individuals out there who have cigarette lighters missing we’d like them to call us,” Bergh said.

The 15-year-old boy has been booked into the Kootenai County Juvenile Detention Center on a grand theft charge. The charge stems from the .22-caliber handgun, which was stolen from a car during the past several weeks, Bergh said.

Police are not certain how many cars the teenager may have broken into, but Bergh said the youth has told them about several. The teenager also said another teen was involved, but declined to identify him, Bergh said.

, DataTimes