Quincy victim helps catch four suspects

QUINCY - Four teenagers were arrested in Quincy following what appears to have been a botched burglary attempt.

Quincy police responded to a 9-1-1 call Thursday concerning a break-in at a residence on Birch Street Southwest, according to Sgt. Paul Snyder on Tuesday.

The victim, who Snyder described as a middle aged man, reportedly told police he'd heard rustling in his living room and thought it was a family member until four intruders attempted to enter his bedroom. The victim struck one of the intruders with a board, causing the suspects to run out the residence, Snyder stated.

The homeowner chased the suspects for a short distance before returning home to see one suspect get into a vehicle. The victim obtained the license plate information and called police.

Within minutes of their arrival, officers located two suspects in the area and soon after found the suspect vehicle along with two more suspects.

Francisco A. Medina, 18, was arrested for residential burglary and theft in the first degree, as were a 16-year-old male and two 17-year-old males. All have known gang affiliation, Snyder said, and were booked into Grant County Jail or Grant County Juvenile Detention Center.

"Based on our investigation we believe there was a fifth subject involved that has not been identified as of this date," Snyder said.

While he did not know what items were taken from the residence, Snyder said officers recovered all the stolen property within a couple blocks of the victim's address.

The vehicle was seized and additional evidence was reportedly recovered inside, including a walkie-talkie. Another walkie-talkie was found on one of the suspects.

Snyder said there is no known connection between this latest burglary and a string of Quincy burglaries allegedly conducted by a separate group of teenagers. In that instance, Quincy police arrested three 15-year-old males, who reportedly confessed to 10 of 12 burglaries committed within the city in the last two months of 2011.

Anyone who may have additional information is asked to call the Quincy Police Department tips line at 509-787-TIPS (8477) or send a message to crimetips@quincypd.org.