Chicago man denied pre-trial release after 'extremely dangerous' police chase: prosecutors

DUPAGE COUNTY - A Chicago man accused of stealing thousands of dollars in merchandise from two stores and leading police on a dangerous chase will remain in custody before trial, a DuPage County judge ruled Monday.

What we know:

Miguel Roman, 38, was charged with burglary, retail theft, aggravated fleeing and eluding, and multiple traffic offenses after an alleged shoplifting spree that turned into a police pursuit.

Two others, Brian Gomez and Altafracia Gomez, were also charged but released at the scene.

The backstory:

Authorities say that around 7 p.m. Saturday, the trio entered the Burlington store located at 174 Roosevelt Road in Villa Park and loaded multiple shopping carts with merchandise before leaving without paying. They allegedly ran to a 2003 Honda Odyssey minivan, loaded the stolen goods inside, and drove away.

A short time later, police tracked the minivan to the Yorktown Mall in Lombard. A Lombard officer began surveillance and reportedly saw Roman and Gomez leaving a Home Goods & Marshalls store carrying duffle bags and luggage filled with stolen merchandise.

When the officer attempted to stop the vehicle, Roman allegedly sped through the parking lot, drove over a curb, and cut across a grassy parkway near a restaurant before entering Butterfield Road. Police say Roman ran a red light at Highland Avenue, cutting across lanes and hitting another vehicle carrying three people, including two juveniles.

Even after officers deployed spike strips, Roman allegedly continued driving on deflated tires, weaving into oncoming traffic and the center turn lane in an attempt to evade police.

The chase ended near Summit Avenue and Butterfield Road in Oak Brook, where officers boxed in the vehicle. However, authorities say Roman still attempted to accelerate away before opening the door and falling out of the minivan.

Miguel Roman

Police found bags of stolen merchandise inside the vehicle, including clothing, footwear, and nail polish with security tags still attached. The value of the stolen goods totaled over $3,400—about $2,123 from Burlington and $1,364 from Home Goods & Marshalls.

What they're saying:

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin sounded off on the incident in a written statement.

"The allegations that these three defendants entered two businesses, helped themselves to nearly thirty-five hundred dollars’ worth of merchandise and then fled the stores without paying are outrageous," Berlin said. "What I find particularly disturbing in this case is the allegation that Miguel Roman, who was driving the getaway car, led police on an extremely dangerous chase at a busy shopping mall over curbs, through grass parkways and then, on multiple occasions, into oncoming traffic. This type of behavior put countless innocent pedestrians and motorists at great risk and will not be tolerated in DuPage County. Thankfully, the victims in the vehicle Mr. Roman allegedly struck were not seriously injured."

What's next:

Roman remains in custody, with his next court appearance set for April 28.

Altafracia Gomez is scheduled to appear on April 12, while Brian Gomez is due in court on May 7.