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10 arrested in recent suburban shopping mall robberies
A new Illinois task force is cracking down on retail robberies at suburban shopping malls.
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. - A new Illinois task force is cracking down on retail robberies at suburban shopping malls.
On Tuesday, Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced recent arrests at several high-profile malls.
One bust occurred at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg. Tiffany Kindred, 42, of New York, and Shaneka Monroe, 27, of New Jersey, were both arrested and found in possession of over $3,000 worth of stolen Apple merchandise, officials said.
In addition, Amelia Smith, 33, of Palatine, and Arnold Misher, 28, of Chicago, were arrested for allegedly stealing items at The Gap at Woodfield Mall. Officials say even more stolen merchandise was discovered in their vehicle.
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"We believe the combined efforts of our organizations will be a deterrent to people wishing to commit retail theft in our communities," said Schaumburg Police Chief Bill Wolf.
The second bust was made at Gurnee Mills Mall in Gurnee, with the arrest of four armed and masked suspects — three of them were juveniles.
"At Gurnee Mills Mall, law enforcement’s quick thinking and keen observations led to the arrest of these dangerous individuals," said Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart. "The offenders have been detained on various weapon charges, and we will work to make sure the community is protected from them in the future."
Two stolen vehicles were also recovered from the armed offenders, officials said.
In a third bust earlier this month, two individuals were arrested during an operation at Oak Brook Mall in Oak Brook. The suspects are being prosecuted by the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office.
"My office is aggressively targeting retail crime and through our Retail Crimes Task Force, is working in tandem with other law enforcement agencies to enhance the public’s safety," Raoul said.
In a related criminal incident, two male suspects earlier this month smashed a display case at a jewelry store at a mall in west suburban Vernon Hills and stole items.
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Smash-and-grab burglars armed with hammers steal jewelry at Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills
Authorities are looking for two male suspects who smashed a display case at a jewelry store and stole items Monday in west suburban Vernon Hills.
Authorities are still looking for the offenders.
One of the suspects allegedly threatened an employee with a hammer when they tried to call 911, but nobody was hurt during the incident, police said.