Suspected serial burglars arrested in Wisconsin after dramatic chase

Four men from Illinois and Indiana were arrested over the weekend in Wisconsin on suspicion of carrying out 25 burglaries in three states, including several in the Chicago area.

Police said the suspects are part of a larger team of thieves that have been operating for months, stealing more than $1 million worth of merchandise.

The arrests capped a wild pursuit on a Wisconsin highway just outside of Milwaukee. The four men inside the van in the dramatic police video were inside a Best Buy in Greenfield, Wisconsin, minutes earlier, police say, swiping pricey items from a storage area.

"This was a big one, they were very active," said David Patrick, assistant chief of the Greenfield Police Department. "They were hitting every few days, and they weren't slowing down."

Greenfield police first encountered the suspects early Sunday as they fled that Best Buy. The group led officers on a chase with speeds topping 70 miles per hour before cops stopped the suspects by performing a "PIT" (Pursuit Intervention Technique) maneuver.

Police said they were ready for the thieves, whose crimes were so prolific that officers began conducting special patrols in the hopes of cornering the suspects.

Officers arrested the men with guns drawn; some of the alleged crooks were still wearing masks as they were handcuffed.

"They were pretty quick, and we happened to be quicker," Patrick said.

Wisconsin authorities and Chicago police have not said which specific stores in our area have been targeted in this burglary ring. That information may become clearer later in the week when the suspects are formally charged.