Craigslist, Footprints Used to Nab Menards Burglar

A piece of plexi-glass, shoe prints, a storage unit and a Craig's List ad all added up for an arrest for the .

Wallace A. Henshall, 48, of 1108 Idlewild Drive in Round Lake was charged Feb. 24 with burglary, theft and possession of burglary tools.

Police responded to a commercial burglary at the , located at 4850 Northwest Highway, and were informed that a glass pane had been removed from an overhead door adjacent to the store’s garden center and that, after entering the business, the suspect replaced the glass pane with a piece of plexi-glass in an effort to conceal the burglary.

According to police, Menards officials said their corporate office had launched their own investigation of high theft merchandise (hand tools, power tools and copper wiring) missing from both the Crystal Lake and Fox Lake stores dating back to Dec. 10, 2011.

Menards Loss Prevention also informed police that they had identified Henshall as a possible suspect.  

Shoe prints leaving the Crystal Lake Menards’ property and heading to a storage unit at the Space Management self-storage facility located next to the Menards were discovered by police. According to police, Henshall rented a storage unit at the business.

Working in conjunction with Fox Lake Police and Menards Loss Prevention, police found video surveillance from both businesses and reviewed the evidence with their respective State’s Attorney Offices.

The Crystal Lake Police were given the approval to secure a search warrant for the storage facility while the Fox Lake Police was able to secure an Arrest warrant for Henshall and his involvement with a burglary at their Menards Store.

Finding items online that were believed to be stolen, Crystal Lake Police contacted Henshall Feb. 24 by telephone as a ruse after discovering that he had a number of tools listed on Craigslist for sale. Henshall agreed to the meet the prospective buyers and was subsequently arrested on the Fox Lake Arrest Warrant for burglary.

When the Crystal Lake Police executed the search warrant they found multiple items belonging to Menards and a 2011 Ford Ranger pick-up truck that had been stripped down to the chassis. It was later determined that this particular vehicle was reported stolen from Buss Ford in McHenry, according to police.

Following his initial appearance before the court, Henshall posted bond and was released and given a Feb. 29 court date. But when Henshall showed up for his Feb. 29 court date he was arrested again for unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle, according to police.

Henshall's bail was set at $100,000 and he remains in custody at the McHenry County Jail.