Incidents at Oak Brook businesses accounted for seven of the 21 arrests made in DuPage County during the first two weeks of 2024 for retail theft.
Information from the office of DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin states that half of the 14 incidents in which the arrests were made took place in Oak Brook, which has a strong retail presence, including Oakbrook Center, one of the nation’s most successful shopping centers.
“With the new year, our mission to protect DuPage County businesses and patrons remains the same,” Berlin said in a statement. “Contrary to popular belief, retail theft is not a victimless crime and has a far-reaching effect on the entire community. It is very simple, if you steal in DuPage County you will be apprehended, charged and prosecuted.”
Oak Brook Police Chief Brian Strockis said he believes Oak Brook being conveniently located and easily assessable from all areas contributes to the village being a target for these incidents.
“But I don’t believe our retailers are being targeted any more than any other location,” he said. “I will say that we have motivated officers that are determined to keep our community safe, and our relationships with area loss prevention agents has never been stronger.”
Strockis said Oak Brook police are extremely proactive and technology driven in fighting these crimes.
“The result of that policing philosophy is a lot of arrests, recovered stolen property, and many headlines, which would lead you to believe we are being targeted,” he said. “Oak Brook is a very safe place to live, shop, dine and play and we have every intention on keeping it that way.”
Multiple recent incidents of retail theft have involved migrants, including on Jan. 13 when officers responded to a call of retail theft about 7:30 p.m. at Macy’s, 1 Oakbrook Center.
Jaime Ubaldo Obando-Andrade, 32, an Ecuadorian migrant currently staying in Chicago, was charged with felony burglary and felony retail theft.
Following an investigation into the Macy’s incident, police reported that Obando-Andrade entered the store, selected a jacket with an approximate value of $395, put the jacket on and then left the store without paying for it, according to information from Berlin’s office.
A loss prevention officer at Macy’s confronted Obando-Andrade in the vestibule of the store, where he remained until Oak Brook officers arrived and arrested the suspect. When searching Obando-Andrade’s vehicle, officers reportedly found approximately $3,000 worth of suspected stolen merchandise as well as rolls of tinfoil. Officers also found an electronic monitoring device, from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, that the defendant reportedly had cut off as well as a fictitious Washington driver’s license with the defendant’s photograph and a different name, Berlin’s office said.
“This was an excellent example of solid police work and looking beyond the initial incident,” Strockis said. “These retail crimes involving migrant offenders are part of a bigger criminal enterprise, and we are working closely with our federal partners to thoroughly investigate these cases.”
Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
