"2nd incident in 3 weeks:" 4 suspects arrested in connection with Richfield burglary, SUV theft

RICHFIELD -- Officials with the Washington County Sheriff's Office said four suspects were arrested by ATF Task Force agents in connection with the theft of an SUV that was stolen from a home in the Village of Richfield early Tuesday, August 1st.

The SUV was recovered in Milwaukee, where the arrests were made. It is believed that some of these suspects committed the burglary to the Richfield residence where the vehicle was stolen.

Conestoga Trail in Richfield

Officials say the burglary happened shortly before 12:30 a.m. at a home on Conestoga Trail. The Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call after the victims, a 61-year-old and 58-year-old couple, heard a noise inside their home -- and subsequently confronted one of the suspects in an interior doorway of the home.

"It's a little scary. Makes me kind of nervous something like this would happen here, closer," a neighbor said.

The homeowner chased the subject out of the home and discovered his SUV was missing.

"I do have a bad habit of leaving my car doors unlocked with the garage door opener. That's going to change," a neighbor said.

Washington County Sheriff Dale Schmidt

"This is troubling in that this is the second type of incident like this in the last three weeks in the Village of Richfield," Washington County Sheriff Dale Schmidt said.

Sheriff Schmidt said deputies responded to a burglary at a home a mile away last month. In that case, the suspects didn't take a vehicle, but he believes they did arrive at the home in a stolen car.

"Which kind of leads to another part of what we're seeing in the last couple months. Younger people are stealing vehicles, using them to commit crimes or as transportation, and then abandoning them. People's vehicles are at risk of being taken.  I think the community needs to be aware of it," Sheriff Schmidt said.

Detectives will now be working with the other agencies to complete the investigation and file criminal charges as appropriate.

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