Wauconda pair charged with $65K jewelry theft

• Reprints

Updated: March 3, 2012 11:37AM

Lake County Sheriff’s Office detectives were able to track a burglar who allegedly took $65,000 in jewelry in a robbery in Deer Park that ended in his arrest in Springfield, and that of his girlfriend.

Deputies responded to a home in the 20500 block of Meadow Lane in Deer Park for a burglary in progress Jan. 12 that was called in by an off-duty police officer who saw the front door kicked in. The homeowners said there was approximately $65,000 in jewelry taken in the break-in.

Detectives began checking the area for witnesses and checking business to see if they had seen any suspicious subjects or anything on security tapes. Police were able to identify a woman who was seen sitting in a vehicle nearby as Christie Partipilo, 35, of 144 Slocum Road, Wauconda.

Deputies learned she attempted to sell the jewelry from the burglary at a local business. She was pulled over for a traffic stop after being put under surveillance and it was found she was driving on a suspended driver’s license. She told investigators her boyfriend committed the burglary while she was a passenger in the vehicle, and told them what pawn shop the jewelry was taken.

Investigators reviewed the case with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office and obtained Class 1 felony burglary warrants for 53-year-old Jeffrey S. Levin and Partipilo, who both lived at the Slocum Lake Road address.

They learned Levin was in custody on a burglary charge in Springfield, Bond for his warrant was set at $250,000 and Partipilo’s bond on her warrant was $25,000.

“This is a classic example of excellent police work by our investigators on this case,” said Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran. “Their tenacity and drive has helped bring two people to justice and has also salvaged some expensive property that may have otherwise never been recovered,”

Investigators were able to recover a portion of the jewelry from the pawn shop and return the items to the home- owners.