Suspects in alleged Chicago smash-and-grab burglary ring charged
CHICAGO -- Police have charged four men in connection with a burglary crew best known for driving cars through high-end stores' front doors, reports CBS Chicago.
Police say that those responsible are all members of the same South Side gang and are responsible for more than 40 burglaries across the Midwest in the past year. A fifth man was also arrested and charged, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Typically, the thieves would wear gloves and masks. In most cases, the burglars were able to gain entry into high-end stores, by smashing windows or driving through doors if the stores were closed. If they were open, swarms of thieves would enter the shops. In all cases, the thieves would be gone within two minutes of entering the store, eluding police.
In December, police captured two men hiding behind a dumpster after a van was rammed into the doors of a Michigan Avenue Neiman-Marcus store, according to the station.
Central District Commander Eugene Roy told CBS Chicago that the thieves did surveillance work beforehand, knew which items they wanted and used maps to steal the most valuable items in the shortest amount of time.
The majority of stolen items have yet to be recovered and Roy admitted that police are still trying to pin down the fencing end of the operation. He did say that the goods typically sold for 30 to 40 cents on the dollar, according the station.
The Chicago Police Department are working with a number of detectives -- including those from Aurora, Oak Brook and Northbrook. There have been a few out-of-state inquiries, reports CBS Chicago.
According to the station, the four initially charged were identified as Jawon Sellers, 24; Kenneth Greene, 23; Tommie Adams, 21; and Herschel Phillips, 18. The fifth was identified as Damarco Darring, 22, according to the Tribune.
The newspaper reports that Darring was specifically charged in the Sept. 22 burglary of a high-end resale shop in Old Town. He was reportedly arrested after a minor traffic stop Monday.
One of the suspects arrested on the same charges was reportedly a juvenile, according to CBS Chicago.
According to the station, four other men still have arrest warrants: 34-year-old James Erwin, 26-year-old Michael Thomas, 22-year-old Deonte Johnson and 21-year-old Kendrick Adams.