West Frankfort teen's crime spree comes to crashing halt
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[An alarm call, missing vehicle and a crash into a Benton home Wednesday morning were connected, West Frankfort Chief of Police Jeff Tharp says.
A 14-year-old was apparently driving a vehicle missing from a West Frankfort lot when it crashed into a home in the 200 block of South Du Quoin Street in Benton.
Tharp said at about 12:45 a.m. Wednesday, the West Frankfort Police Department received an alarm call from Casey's General Store, located at 1305 E. Main St., West Frankfort.
Upon arrival, officers noticed that the front window had been broken with a brick, but access to the interior of the business had not been gained.
"At 7:50 a.m., we received a report of a damaged car parked in the middle of the 1100 block of West Oak St.," Tharp said.
"Officers arrived and discovered a red 1988 Pontiac Grand Prix. Officers learned that this vehicle belonged to Sigler Auto Sales, located in the 1200 block of E. Main St.
"Officers went to Sigler Auto Sales and contacted the owner," he said. "The owner stated that the Pontiac Grand Prix was his. As the owner examined the vehicle inventory he noticed that a red Dodge Durango was also missing."
Tharp said an employee of Hucks, located at 208 S. Logan St. called 911 at 8:40 a.m. to report that a red Dodge Durango had just filled up with gas and left without paying. "The employee was following the Durango as it traveled north to Benton," he said.