Lt. Patrick McMahon of the Lake County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) reported Tuesday that Deputy Darren Daskam responded to a burglary report at Scully Packing Co. in Finley on Monday.

When he arrived at Scully Packing, Daskam was shown a videotape of the crime as it occurred. The tape showed three male suspects entering the business, vandalizing it and stealing a 1991 Polaris ATV 4-wheeler.

The vandalism included the discharge of fire extinguishing material inside the business, damage to screens and the prying open of a locked equipment locker, McMahon said. The suspects also caused a 55-gallon barrel of oil to spill over while committing the crime.

Daskam cleared the scene and then began checking the neighborhood for evidence or possible witnesses, according to McMahon's report.

At that point Daskam observed the three suspects walking in front of a residence down the street from the scene. He noted the three were dressed similarly to the suspects on the videotape at the scene and contacted them.

While speaking with Daskam, the suspects all admitted to the crime and were arrested.

Those arrested were Hank William Beck, 19, of Nice; Robert Wenning, 18, of Nice; and a 16-year-old juvenile who gave home addresses in Nice and Finely.

The three claimed they had been intoxicated, a contributing factor in their decision to try to steal the ATV, which was their intended target all along.

The ATV was later recovered from a nearby stream where it had been abandoned, McMahon reported.

Later that same day, Daskam responded to the L&L Vineyards in Finley where he was advised that apparently all or some of the above subjects had broken into a pump house and damaged the radiator on the pump.

Daskam found matching shoe prints at this scene as well as discharged fire extinguishers in an irrigation pond, said McMahon. Cans of the same brand of beer were also located at both crime scenes.

Beck and Wenning were booked at the Lake County Jail for felony charges of vehicle theft, first degree burglary and vandalism, with bail set for each at $30,000.

The juvenile was transported to the Lake County Juvenile Hall and booked on the same charges.

All three were still in custody Tuesday evening, McMahon reported.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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