Felony charges against five Rock County teens are pending at the Rock County Courthouse.

Facing theft and burglary charges are Eric Kooistra and Chaiden Kuehl, Beaver Creek, Ashley Kurtz and Shane Oehlerts, Luverne, and Ethan Rozeboom, Hills, all 18 and 19 years old.

The case stems from their roles in the July break-ins and burglaries at a Beaver Creek acreage this summer.

The crimes and the teens’ identities were captured by a surveillance camera at the property two miles southeast of Beaver Creek.

When questioned by law enforcement on Aug. 10 and 11, the individuals admitted to the thefts. They returned the stolen property and issued written apologies.
In total, more than $8,000 of property was stolen from the acreage, owned by Casey and Becky (Hellwinckel) Schultz.

The Schulzes live in Sioux Falls, but they spend time at the acreage daily, tending to their dog kennels, gardening and other hobbies.

Becky grew up at the farmstead, and the land has been in her family since her grandparents, Edward and Mary Roehs, owned it.

Becky’s parents, Walter and Leora (Roehs) Hellwinckel, bought it from them, and now the property belongs to the Schultzes and Becky’s sister, Deb Hellwinckel, who also lives in Sioux Falls.

Casey, an electrician by trade, installed the surveillance system nearly two years ago in response to vandalism at the property.

On July 31 the cameras picked up on young people on the property.
It showed them entering an unsecured grainary and barn, and it showed them prying open the doors of a locked machine shed.

The cameras caught them taking hand tools, power tools, a shotgun and two .22 rifles.

The Schultzes took their evidence to law enforcement and reviewed it with neighbors, who were able to identify the young people shown on the recording.
The County Attorney’s Office completed its review of the investigative reports, and filed paperwork with the court on Sept. 16.

Those complaints, as of press time, had not been signed by the judge.

The individuals involved will appear in Rock County District Court on their charges at a date to be determined.