Staff Report

ROCKFORD – Two men were arrested early Monday after a burglary on the city’s near-east side. 

Michael Gottal, 48, of Rockford, is charged withe burglary and criminal damage to property. 
Lawrence Lawnduski, 43, of Rockford, charged with burglary and resisting an officer. He was also wanted on warrant in an unrelated case. 

Over the past two weeks, detectives from the Financial and Property Crimes Unit have been investigating several burglaries to local businesses where video gambling machines were targeted.

At about 4 a.m., SCOPE officers were conducting a surveillance detail in response to those incidents when they observed an in-progress burglary at San Jose Taqueria. Gottal and Lawnduski were later taken into custody in the parking lot of Don Carter Lanes, and items taken from the business were recovered.

Detectives are looking into the possibility that the suspects are responsible for other similar burglaries in and around the Rockford area.