Visiting Football Team Ransacks LW Central Locker Room: Sheriff

NEW LENOX, IL — Players from a visiting football team are accused of rifling through the locker room at Lincoln-Way Central High School Friday night, stealing several cell phones, cash, and other items from the home team's lockers.

A school resource officer was alerted Friday at 10 p.m. to allegations of theft and criminal damage to property in the north gym men's locker room, in use by Hoffman Estates High School before and after the playoff football game. Hoffman Estates lost the game, 28–49, ending their playoff run.

Several Lincoln-Way Central freshman football players who had been called up to varsity playoffs were also using the locker room, the Will County Sheriff's Office said. Neither team was inside the locker room at the same time. Security footage showed that no one else entered the locker room besides the Hoffman Estates team and the freshman Lincoln-Way Central players.

According to the sheriff's office, a deputy went to the locker room and spoke to five LWC students/football players and their parents. Five male victims aged 14–15 reported as stolen pieces of clothing, a pair of Adidas slides, a pair of earbuds, a debit card, cash, a mouth guard and a phone case.

Additionally, four cell phones were missing from four different lockers, police said. One cell phone was eventually found in an empty locker; one cell phone was located in the locker room and had sustained substantial damage, making it non-functioning; one cell phone has since been returned from staff at Hoffman Estates High School; and one cell phone remains missing, according to the sheriff's office.

The lockers were not locked at the time of the thefts, the Will County Sheriff's Office said.

Lincoln-Way Central administrators are working with Hoffman Estates High School staff, who are attempting to find the missing phone and other stolen items.

Administrators have also spoken with the victims' parents. Lincoln-Way Central has offered reimbursements to the parents.

As of Wednesday, Nov. 13, parents of the Lincoln-Way Central victims did not wish to pursue criminal complaints, according to police. They were advised that if they wished to pursue charges at a later date, they could contact the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office.