Three men accused of several burglaries and extensive vandalism in the St. Charles area in 2015 will seek to enter Kane County’s pre-trial diversion program.
During a Wednesday hearing, Kane County Assistant State’s Attorney Dave Belshan told Judge D.J. Tegeler he learned that the men – 20-year-old Kyle Wandle of St. Charles, 19-year-old Nick Zamecnik of Campton Hills and 19-year-old William Donlevy of St. Charles – had paid full restitution to those victimized during the incidents in October and December of 2015 in Wasco and St. Charles.
Given that, Belshan said the trio would be given the opportunity to apply for the county’s pre-trial diversion program. Tegeler set a March 21 hearing date for their respective applications to the program, which could help them avoid felony convictions on their record if they meet certain requirements.
A grand jury indicted the trio in June on a number counts of burglary and criminal damage to property in the spree that included break-ins and damage at Wasco baseball facilities, Wasco Nursery, Wasco Elementary School and St. Charles Park District facilities.
Prosecutors alleged they took money and candy from locked concession stands belonging to Wasco Baseball and Wasco Little League as part of October 2015 break-ins. They also burglarized Wasco Nursery, where they smashed a truck window and caused other damage, before breaking windows, light fixtures and door handles at Wasco Elementary School, court records show. Overall, they caused nearly $12,000 in damage, with the bulk of it occurring at the school, according to charging documents. A crowbar belonging to Donlevy is described in court records as the tool used to bust windows and gain entry to locked locations in the incidents.
The men were also accused of a December 2015 burglary to park district buildings on Campton Hills Road. St. Charles police found ransacked offices used by youth sports organizations at James O. Breen Community Park, according to court documents. Investigators also noted that computer monitors, phones and printers, among other things, were destroyed or damaged.
An affidavit for a search warrant for phones belonging to the men described toppled refrigerators and food and liquids tossed around a nearby concession area. Video surveillance also showed the suspects entering an office area for Otter Cove Aquatic Park where electronic equipment was damaged, court records state. In taped interviews with police, the men acknowledged their role in the various incidents, according to court documents. Searches of their phones revealed photos and videos of the teens during the park district burglary, as well as text messages referring to their actions, records show.
The park district’s insurance company settled a lawsuit with the men in April at which time they collectively paid $25,288 in restitution, attorney Joseph McFadden said Wednesday. District 303 received checks totaling approximately $9,500, spokesman Jim Blaney said. It was not immediately known how much money was paid to others who had property damaged.
Dan Campana is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News