Pleasant Prairie Police Department

2005 New Releases Archive

03/22/2005 | Police Clear 2003 Burglary with DNA
(Pleasant Prairie, WI) In December 2003, the owner of the Village Restaurant on Sheridan Road came in to work to find overnight someone had broken in. The glass on the front door had been broken out, and someone came in and stole money. Two other businesses in the area were also hit in the same manner. This type of burglary known to police as a “Smash and Grab” has plagued the area on and off since then.

For Detective Randy Myles it was a typical case, not much to go on. However, while processing the crime scene Myles found a tiny drop of dried blood on the inside of the broken window. Knowing the burglar may have cut himself, Myles sent this blood to the crime lab. The case stalled when no matches were received for DNA stored in the state crime database.

Fast forward to March 9, 2005 where Forest Park Illinois Police respond to a burglary in progress at a local restaurant. A patrol officer sees the getaway vehicle and after a brief chase, three suspects are apprehended. The driver of the car, Charles N. Barnato 27 of River Forest IL is arrested for burglary and held in the Cook County Illinois Jail.

On March 17, 2005 Pleasant Prairie Police received information that the DNA from the blood sample submitted in the 2003 burglary in Pleasant Prairie matches Barnato. Police have charged Barnato with burglary, and are now looking at him as a suspect in several other cases according to Pleasant Prairie Police Chief Brian Wagner. “I find it interesting that since Barnato is off the street, our burglaries have slowed considerably” according to Wagner. “Barnato’s DNA at the crime scene speaks for itself” said Wagner.

Wagner credits good police work by patrol officers and Detective Myles in this case. “Our guys did an excellent job, something the citizens of Pleasant Prairie have come to know and expect from this department” said Wagner. Police would like to remind citizens to be vigilant, and to report any suspicious persons or activity in their neighborhood.

An archived copy of this and other Pleasant Prairie Police Department news releases is available on the department’s website at www.pppd.info

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