Late Thursday morning, an off-duty police officer in a jewelry store on 152nd and LaGrange Road noticed a suspicious man inside the store and called it in.
That man left the store when he noticed the officer, police said. He joined three other subjects near a car in the parking lot. They then fled the scene on foot, leaving behind the vehicle, which was discovered to have been stolen from a resident's driveway in Mokena.
Police quickly apprehended three of the subjects, but a fourth dodged them. Police called for a "secure campus" — or soft lockdown — at nearby District 135 offices and Center School while they searched for the fourth, who was later apprehended near Center School.
Officers found a mini-sledgehammer near the car in the jewelry store parking lot, leading police to believe the off-duty officer's vigilance prevented a smash-and-grab burglary.
Police are investigating.
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