Sheriff investigators in Vermilion County are looking into whether two people arrested this week can be connected to recent residential burglaries in northern Vermilion County.

Police report there's been an increase in burglaries in the north end of the county in recent weeks. And residential burglaries are also occurring in western Indiana.

Two people were arrested earlier this week after a sheriff's deputy spotted them leaving a rural home. And the two are suspects in the rash of burglaries, although the sheriff's department also has other suspects in some of the burglaries.

33-year-old Myrna Moore of Hoopeston, and 33-year-old Jeremiah Smith of Rossville were charged Wednesday in Vermilion County Circuit Court with residential burglary. Moore was also charged with aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, and Smith was also charged with resisting or obstructing a police officer.

Moore and Smith were arrested Tuesday when a deputy sheriff was patrolling and spotted two individuals getting into a van at a rural residence northeast of Bismarck. The deputy attempted to stop them, and they drove off in the van. The deputy chased the vehicle. Kaag said the suspects were throwing stolen merchandise from the van as the deputy chased them over the state line into western Indiana.

The suspects eventually led police back into Illinois east of Rossville, where officers put stop sticks in the road, flattening the tires of the van. The two continued in the van, driving through farm fields where the driver eventually lost control and wrecked.

Police reported Smith was on parole, had been arrested and charged with drug possession last week and bonded out on those charges last week. Both are being held in the Vermilion County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bond.

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