Trio accused of stealing from Naperville Nike store, leading police on chase to Chicago

NAPERVILLE, Ill. - Three women stole more than $300 in merchandise from a Nike store in Naperville before leading police on a chase that ended in Chicago, prosecutors said.

What we know:

Emiaya Shannon, 27; Shawanda Outlaw, 28; and Martasia Barney, 27, all from Chicago, appeared in DuPage County First Appearance Court on Thursday.

Each is charged with one count of burglary, a Class 2 felony, and one count of retail theft, a Class 3 felony, according to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Barney also faces a misdemeanor charge of fleeing and eluding a police officer.

The charges stem from an incident around 4:20 p.m. on Wednesday when Shannon and Outlaw allegedly entered the Nike Well Collective store in Naperville, selected 20 items of clothing worth more than $300, and walked out without paying. The pair then fled in a car driven by Barney, prosecutors said.

A Naperville police officer attempted to stop the vehicle, but Barney reportedly did not pull over.

The Chicago Police Department deployed a helicopter, which tracked the trio to the city, where they were arrested a short time later.

Outlaw, Shannon, and Barney | Provided

What they're saying:

"DuPage County law enforcement is committed to ensuring the safety and security of our residents and retail businesses," DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said. "The apprehension of the defendants in this case sends the simple message to would-be thieves that if you come to DuPage County to steal, we will work together and use every tool available to us, including air support, to arrest, charge and prosecute you. Retail theft is not a victimless crime and results in lost profits for business owners, lost wages for employees and higher prices for consumers. I commend the Naperville Police Department for their work on this case and for their continued efforts in keeping our retail establishments safe. I also thank the Woodridge, Willowbrook and Chicago Police Departments for their assistance as well as Assistant State’s Attorneys Sean Kinsella and Kevin Kosman for their work in securing charges against these three defendants."

"The collaboration involved in this case highlights how dedicated Chicagoland law enforcement agencies are to catching criminals. Even though the crime didn't happen in their community, these agencies are willing to provide people, technology, and other resources to help each other and achieve our common goal of holding people accountable for victimizing our communities," Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres said. "I am so grateful to the departments that helped us with yesterday’s apprehension and DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin and his office for working so closely with us to hold the suspects accountable for their actions."

What's next:

All three women were released pre-trial and are prohibited from entering any Nike store. They are scheduled to appear in court on May 5.