Cops track stolen laptop to home of school janitor
GARY -- A tracking device helped police locate a stolen laptop at the home of a now-unemployed school janitor who was using the computer minutes before his arrest Thursday afternoon.
"We were probably five feet from his front door when we were told he had just turned the computer off," Sgt. William Fazekas said.
Police arrested Darrell Eller, 43, brother of veteran officer Cpl. Keith Eller, at his home in Tarrytown about 1 p.m.
Eller is expected to be charged today with possession of stolen property, Fazekas said.
Lighthouse Charter School officials reported the Dell computer stolen earlier this month, Detective Sgt. Kirk Banker said. Until his arrest, Eller had been working as a janitor at the school, located in the 700 block of Clark Road in Brunswick.
The laptop contained a Lojack recovery tracking device, Fazekas said. A Lojack representative contacted police Tuesday with information on where the computer was being used.
"They were able to see what he was doing on the computer. He had changed passwords and set up e-mail on it," Fazekas said.
Banker, Fazekas, Detectives Cpl. Mark Salazar, Laria Crews, Robin Mason and Steve Andrus with members of the S.W.A.T. team participated in the arrest.
Eller previously served 180 days in jail for impersonating an officer. After that offense, he was arrested again driving a car with activated flashing lights and siren and carrying a handgun. He was also convicted of a firearms charge than brought him two years in prison.
Diane Poulton, spokeswoman for Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter, said felony charges have been approved against Eller for allegedly having sex with a 15-year-old girl.
Contact Lori Caldwell at 881-3119 or lcaldwell@post-trib.com
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