Tri-County Auto Theft Task Force recovers $615,000 in stolen dog food and treats

The Tri-County Auto Theft Task Force recovered about $750,000 worth of stolen property – including $615,000 in dog food and treats – at a business in Gurnee.

The discovery of the property followed a multiagency investigation that began with the theft of two semitrailers from a Joliet warehouse.

The Joliet Police Department responded to reports of two stolen semitrailers from a facility in the 4100 block of Rock Creek Boulevard on June 30, according to a news release from the task force.

It was later discovered that both trailers had been loaded with pallets of dog food and treats, collectively valued at $615,000, according to the release. Although the trailers were recovered after being abandoned, their contents had been removed, according to the release.

The task force obtained a search warrant for Dan’s Deals Liquidation Store at 3545 Grand Ave in Gurnee and searched the premises July 13, according to the release.

More than 95% of the stolen dog food and treats was recovered, and additional stolen property also was discovered and turned over to the respective agencies handling those investigations, according to the release.

In the parking lot, agents also recovered a stolen semitrailer containing stolen cargo from a separate theft reported to the Will County Sheriff’s Office earlier that day, according to the release.

The entirety of the stolen property has an estimated retail value of $750,000. The investigation remains ongoing, with further recoveries expected and arrests still pending, according to the release.

The Tri-County Auto Theft Task Force thanked the Joliet Police Department, the Gurnee Police Department, the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Travelers Insurance Special Investigations Group for their collaboration and assistance in this case.

Anyone with information related to these thefts is encouraged to contact TCAT at 815-724-4677 or tcat@joliet.gov.