CHESTER — City police filed petitions with the Hancock County juvenile prosecutor asking that two teens be charged in connection to a series of illegal entry into unlocked motor vehicles and, in some cases, theft of contents or destruction of property over this past weekend.

Police Chief Chuck Stanley said investigators had started with eight complaints between 3 and4 a.m. Sunday; however, thanks to surveillance videos provided by the victims and their neighbors has grown to police requesting a total of 11 charges on each of the two suspects, a 12-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy. In addition to six counts of illegal entry into a motor vehicle, each faces two counts of destruction of property and three counts of petty larceny, all misdemeanors.

The reported damage area was unlocked vehicles primarily in the 400 to 600 blocks of Indiana, the 500 block of Florida and Fifth Street.

In fact, Stanley said the duo had been observed on video trying the doors on one vehicle. Finding the doors locked, the suspects continued on until finding another more vulnerable target.

Both suspects have had previous run-ins with police.

The destruction of property charges stem from using a key to scratch the paint on one of the victim vehicles and an utility knife, garnered from another break-in, to slice up the seats of a brand new vehicle they entered.

The petty larceny charges for each stemmed from removing contents from the vehicle.

Additional charges may be pending if video footage continues to warrant them.

Since both suspects are juveniles, Stanley said they will be assigned legal representation if the prosecutor does file the charges. He concluded by thanking the community with their assistance to potentially resolving this so early with their surveillance videos.

sujhelyi@mojonews.com