An unnamed Elburn police officer will be disciplined and receive additional training after allowing a teen being held on car-burglary and other charges in to escape custody.

Elburn Police Chief Nick Sikora

According to an Elburn Police Department news release, a 17-year-old who had been awaiting vehicle-burglary charges escaped by crawling out a window in late December, but was quickly recaptured and now faces multiple felony charges.

Police discovered during an interview on Dec. 20 that the 17-year-old was in possession of stolen credit cards, and the juvenile was being held in non-secure custody while officers worked with the Kane County States Attorney’s Office to get felony charges approved.

The juvenile escaped from the Elburn Police Department around 6 p.m. by crawling out of a window while the officer was out of the room.

The juvenile was taken back into custody and faces felony charges of Burglary to Motor Vehicle, Possession of Stolen Property, and Escape.

The circumstances leading up to the escape were the subject of an internal review and investigation, Elburn police said in the news release. The investigation has been completed and the officer responsible was found to have violated departmental policy which led to the escape.

“It was determined that if the established departmental policy had been followed, the escape would likely not have been possible,” Elburn Police Chief Chief Nick Sikora said in the news release.

The discipline for the violation includes the extension of the officer’s probationary employment period, additional training on both the respective departmental policy as well as Illinois juvenile law, and a one-day unpaid suspension day.

The charges again the 17-year-old are not proof of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial at which it is the burden of the state to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

SOURCE: Elburn Police Department news release