JOHNSBURG – A Pistakee Highlands man and woman have been charged with burglary after police said they used newspaper obituaries to find homes to rob.

Jacquelyn S. Buchholz, 24, and Jason K. Werner, 26, both of 108 Pleasant View Drive, near Johnsburg, were charged with one count each of residential burglary and theft. Additional charges are pending.

On Sept. 21, the Barrington Police Department responded to a residential burglary in progress that led to the arrest of Buchholz and Werner, according to the McHenry County Sheriff's Office.

McHenry County and Boone County investigators then interviewed them and they confessed to several residential burglaries in unincorporated areas, police said.

Buchholz and Werner allegedly would read obituaries published in local newspapers to gather personal information then burglarize family members who were attending wakes.

Most of the McHenry County burglaries were in the western half of the county. Police said stolen property was recovered and connected to recent burglaries.

Buchholz and Werner are currently being held at the Cook County Jail.

The Sheriff's Office encourages people whose personal information has been published in an obituary to have a trusted friend or family member watch over their homes while they are away.

The Sheriff's Office also provides extra patrol or vacation watches. Requests can be sent through the department's website, www.mchenrysheriff.org.