Beardstown Police caught a burglar on Sunday who is currently awaiting sentencing in another burglary case in Henry County, Illinois from 2018.
According to a report from Beardstown Chief of Police Martin Coad, two officers responded to a burglary in progress at the Super Clean Laundromat in the 800 block of East 15th Street at about 3AM on January 12th. Two suspects had been trying to break into the change machines, according to the dispatch call, but fled on foot as officers arrived. The suspects described as two white males wearing hooded sweatshirts ran behind some nearby buildings in a public park area. After speaking with the complainants, the officer dispatched their K-9 officer Endor to search the area. The suspects were tracked to an area in the Wal-Mart parking lot and one of the suspects was found by K-9 officer Endor hiding under a parked Semi trailer.
The suspect was later identified as 39 year old Kyle D. Schnitzler of Mt. Carroll, Illinois. Schnitzler was transported to the Beardstown Police Station for questioning and then booked into the Schuyler County Jail and charged with burglary, possession of burglary tools, and criminal damage to property. He is currently being held without bond.
Schnitzler and an accomplice, 37 year old Jesse R. Whaley of Freeport, Illinois were arrested after a traffic stop on November 9, 2018 that resulted in a foot chase in Kewanee. Both men were wanted in a string of burglaries of change machines and properties across three states, according to the Rock Island Dispatch-Argus. Both men were charged with burglary, possession of burglary tools, possession of stolen license plates, theft and criminal damage to property. According to Henry County court documents, bond was applied to Schnitzler on October 15, 2019 and he last appeared in court in Henry County on November 21st with a court date set for a final appearance on January 23rd. Whaley was sentenced to 3 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections on February 19th last year for the arrest.
If you have any information about the current case in Beardstown, please contact the Beardstown Police Department at 217-323-3131.