Wilmington man charged with stealing 3 vehicles in one day: police
Zachary M. Palmer │ Kankakee County Sheriff’s office
KANKAKEE - A Wilmington man is accused of stealing three vehicles within a 24-hour period Monday morning.
According to the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department, 21-year-old Zachary Palmer was arrested and charged with three counts of possession of a stolen motor vehicle and felony theft.
Officials used OnStar to locate one of the stolen vehicles off Illinois Route 113 in Grundy County Monday morning. They soon determined that another vehicle had been stolen from a nearby residence.
Police then initiated a pursuit when Palmer fled the scene. The vehicle, allegedly driven by Palmer, crashed into several other cars and side-swiped a Grundy County sheriff’s cruiser before crashing into a school bus.
The bus did not have any children on-board, according to authorities.
"We want to send a reminder to our area residents that criminals, such as Palmer, prey on crimes of opportunity. Of the numerous motor vehicle thefts that he is suspected in, all have been left unlocked with the keys readily available. We continue to urge the community to assist us by simply securing your vehicles and removing valuables from plain view," said Sheriff Mike Downey.
Palmer was recently released from prison on June 2 after serving time for multiple Motor Vehicle Thefts. He had been in custody since April 21.
Palmer is also expected to face additional charges on multiple warrants in Iroquois County and from the Illinois Department of Corrections. He is also suspected in several additional vehicle thefts in Kankakee, Will and Grundy counties.