Teens charged in Prospect High School break-in

A pair of Mount Prospect teens face burglary charges alleging they broke into Prospect High School earlier this week and stole numerous computer-related items, police said Wednesday.

Brian Maurice, 17, of the 100 block of South Emerson Street, and Matthew Kabat, 18, of the 100 block of South Can Dota Avenue, were released on their own recognizance after appearing in court on the charges Wednesday morning, according to Mount Prospect police.

Their arrests follow an investigation that began about 8:10 p.m. Monday when police were called to a report of an intoxicated person in the 0-100 block of East Northwest Highway and found Maurice. While interviewing the teen, police said, officers found property from Prospect High School in his possession.

He was cited for unlawful consumption of alcohol by a minor and transported to a hospital for treatment.

School and police investigators later watched school security video footage and observed Maurice and Kabat in the school when it was closed to students Monday evening, police said.

The teens are accused of stealing a computer, a database, network access information and other items from a technical services office. Deputy Police Chief Tim Janowick said it is not clear what their intentions were with the stolen items.

Janowick said the burglary would have been discovered the next morning when school officials realized the property was missing and watched the security tapes, but Maurice’s intoxication the night before tipped police off early.

“We had some good fortune there,” he said.

All items taken during the burglary were recovered and police do not believe the men accessed the database or used the network access information.

Maurice and Kabat are scheduled to return to court Feb. 28.