Trio of teens deny GPS burglaries

Three teenagers denied burglary charges after being accused of stealing several GPS units from vehicles last month.

Noel Ortega, 19, of 409 Parkview Court, Round Lake Park; Charlesett Bills, 17, of 311 S. Rosadale Lane, Round Lake; and Brandon Davis, 18, of 1309 Ardmore Drive, Round Lake Beach, were charged with theft and unlawful possession of property by Lake Villa police for breaking into numerous vehicles and stealing GPS units.

If convicted Ortega, Bills and Davis could spend up to seven years in prison.

Dressed in street clothes Wednesday, the teenagers pleaded not guilty to the Class 2 felony burglary charges in front of Associate Judge George Bridges.

The three teenagers were taken into custody Oct. 4 after Lake Villa police received a suspicious persons call from the area of Roselle and Kenz courts. The caller said there were individuals possibly entering parked cars, authorities said.

An officer responding to the alert then observed a vehicle leaving the neighborhood and conducted an immediate traffic stop. During the stop, police discovered the three suspects in the vehicle along with multiple GPS systems.

Further investigation revealed the teens had just attempted to break into a parked vehicle in the neighborhood shortly before officers arrived. The GPS devices were traced back to motorists in Lindenhurst and Lake Villa Township.

A trial is scheduled for January.