Lakeside teens suspected in burglary

Crime at Kalispell Truss was reported Tuesday morning to the Flathead County Sheriff's Office

A business's new security system and aggressive investigative work led to the arrest of three teenagers on suspicion of burglary, auto theft and felony criminal mischief.

The burglary at Kalispell Truss was reported to the Flathead County Sheriff's Office at 7 a.m. Tuesday.

According to a report by deputy Aaron Westphal, intruders slipped under a fence, pried open a back garage door, broke into a safe, stole a 2003 Chevy truck, and crashed it through a gate.

Images of two suspects were found on a surveillance camera that had been installed just a few weeks ago. An employee at the business said one of the boys resembled a Lakeside teenager.

Westphal and detectives Paul Lebert and Jeanne Landis went to Lakeside to investigate, according to sheriff's detective Cmdr. Bruce Parish.

There, they noticed a boy behaving suspiciously by driving back and forth past a car that looked to be abandoned. He was wearing the same clothing that was seen in the surveillance video, Parish said. The officers talked to him and eventually arrested him and two others, Parish said.

"It was an outstanding job of police work," Parish said.

Arrested were Cory Dunne, 16; Jeff Taylor, 17; and Mike Swindler, 16 - all of Lakeside.

Parish said most of the items taken in the burglary have been recovered. They include cash, clothing, computers and sporting goods.

A computer system was damaged when the burglars tried to disable the surveillance equipment, Parish said. The truck sustained about $3,000 damage, he said.

Parish said the boys are being investigated for any connection to a vehicle that was vandalized on Blacktail Road last weekend, and another vehicle that was stolen and damaged.