Police Link Five Suspects In Burglaries To Theft Wave Several Businesses Victims Of Break-Ins In Past Month

Five people arrested early Wednesday after burglaries in Dalton Gardens may be behind a recent string of burglaries plaguing Coeur d’Alene businesses, authorities said.

Officers cooperating in a joint effort between the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department and the Coeur d’Alene Police Department made the arrests beginning about 1:30 a.m., said sheriff’s Capt. Ben Wolfinger.

“I’m confident that they’re the people that are responsible for at least a portion of the recent string of burglaries,” said Coeur d’Alene police Lt. Don Jiran.

Arrested were: David L. Cheyney, 27, of Coeur d’Alene; his sister, Sherri L. Cheyney, 25, of Fernwood, Idaho; Cameron M. Wall, 21, of Coeur d’Alene; Patrick A. Wentzel, 18, of St. Maries; and his brother, Michael B. Wentzel, 31, of St. Maries. A sixth person, a woman, has been identified as a suspect but was not arrested, Wolfinger said.

About 10 officers staked out the Aqua Circle area of Dalton Gardens early Wednesday and caught the group burglarizing six businesses, Wolfinger said. Five of the businesses were construction businesses, and one was an auto parts store, he said.

Most were caught inside the buildings, but a couple were arrested later, Wolfinger said.

Jiran said detectives spent the afternoon questioning each of the five people about the run of city burglaries. They were still trying to determine how many of the burglaries each person may have committed, he said.

About two dozen Coeur d’Alene businesses have reported break-ins during the past several weeks. Safes have been targeted in at least three of the burglaries.

Police have recovered two safes reported missing from businesses. A third was cut open but not taken.

, DataTimes