After months of investigation, the first person arrested in a string of 30 storage shed break-ins is now charged in the case.

17-year-old Derek Cape of Chippewa Falls is charged with four counts of felony burglary and three counts of felony theft. He also faces one charge of obstructing an officer

Captain Eugene Gutsch with the Chippewa County Sheriff's Department says it could be a couple months before anyone else is arrested. But, he says up to seven more people could eventually face charges.

For eight or so years, Paul Close has worked long hours at Red Wing Custom Cabinets and Flooring in Boyd.

"I love being my own boss... most of the time. I love working with people and building stuff with my hands," Close says.

Close's workshop doesn't leave a lot of room for storage so he relies heavily on storage sheds. In October, someone stole $13,000 worth of maple flooring from his storage shed near Cadott.

"It's appalling. A lot of small businesses are hurting right now. The last thing we need is people to be stealing stuff," Close says.

It was at a storage shed in Lake Hallie that officers ran into Derek Cape sitting in a parked truck.

An officer patrolling the area "came across a vehicle and Mr. Cape. He recognized the shoes he was wearing to be that of what he remembered seeing at one of initial burglaries," says Gutsch.

Court papers show the next day officers got consent to search the truck Cape was sitting in.

Captain Gutsch says they found burglary tools; things like bolt cutters and vice grips.

In the weeks to come, officers tracked down stolen snow blowers and Close's flooring. Gutsch says they've found about $20,000 worth of stolen property. He says another $10,000 to $20,000 in stolen property is still missing.

As for Close's flooring, it's still being held as evidence. He continues to work with his insurance company to get reimbursed for it.

WEAU 13 News talked to a couple of the storage shed owners. They say they're thankful for the progress in the case. They also say it's important to invest in a good lock. They say the cheap padlocks are easy to break, but there are some disk shaped ones around $20 that are much more difficult for crooks to get through.

Captain Gutsch says it's also very helpful if you write down everything you have in storage. That includes make and model and serial number. He says taking a picture is also a good idea.