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Cops: Car Thief Was Also Burglar, Counterfeiter

ELGIN, Ill. (STMW) - Call it a productive bust. When police caught a man red-handed stealing a car from a northwest suburban dealership last week, they also ended solving a business burglary and a counterfeit case.

On Dec. 21, Nicholas D. Seidel, 30, of Elgin, was taken into custody after he was seen driving a BMW that had just been stolen from Don McCue Chevrolet at 2015 E. Main St. in St. Charles, according to St. Charles police. Seidel, of the 1000 block of Spinnaker St., crashed the stolen car in Baker Park and was arrested after a short foot pursuit.

Just before midnight, officers were conducting surveillance at the dealership, where there had been previous thefts of auto equipment from vehicles, when they a black BMW pull out with paperwork affixed to the front windshield, indicating it was for sale.

The driver looked directly at the officer's squad car, then made a left turn westbound on East Main. The officer attempted to stop the vehicle, which accelerated rapidly and refused to stop. The car was then found off the roadway in a grassy area of the park, where it had struck a decorative fixture, the release said. Seidel ran from the vehicle and was taken into custody after a short foot pursuit.

Additional investigation found other incidents that Seidel, who was staying at the Super 8 Motel on East Main, may have been involved in, including a burglary at The Colony, 3950 Stern Ave., on Dec. 18, the release said.

In that case, forced entry was made by breaking a window and computer equipment valued at $1,000 was taken.

Evidence located at the scene later tied Seidel to the scene, and the stolen computer equipment was recovered from his vehicle at the motel.

It was also determined that on Dec. 18, Seidel had gone to the Walgreens at 2751 E. Main and used a counterfeit $20 bill to purchase an Arizona Ice Tea. A scanner, computer, paper and fictitious $20 bills were also recovered from his vehicle, the release said.

Seidel was charged with burglary, unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle, and aggravated fleeing and eluding for the Dec. 20 incident; burglary for The Colony incident; and issuing or delivering a forged document for the Walgreens incident, the release said.

As of Wednesday, he was being held in the Kane County Jail on $110,000 bond.

A search warrant was executed at the motel room at Super 8, where an additional suspect was taken into custody after a foot pursuit on Dec. 22. That suspect was taken into federal custody by the FBI and Secret Service.

© Sun-Times Media Wire Chicago Sun-Times 2011. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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