Shoplifters Fight Off Employees With Knife Inside Downers Grove Supermarket

Two alleged shoplifters fought off employees with a knife inside a Downers Grove supermarket where they were observed stuffing shopping bags with stolen baby formula, reports said.

Downers Grove police were summoned to Ultra Foods, 1212 75th St., around 3:08 p.m. Oct. 13, for a report of a retail theft that had just occurred, with the offenders and employees fighting inside the store.

When police arrived, they learned that two men had just fled the parking lot northbound on Lemont Road in a Toyota Corolla that had been reported stolen in Hickory Hills.

The store manager advised that he and his loss prevention officer had been watching the men via store security cameras remove shopping bags hidden in their clothing and begin to stuff baby formula into their bags and pockets.

Three employees confronted the alleged shoplifters inside the store as they attempted to leave without paying for the baby formula. One of the men pushed an employee backwards, as another employee attempted to tackle the second offender from behind, police contend.

As the first man was chased out of the store, he brandished a knife and threatened the employee, who then backed off. The offender later returned and slashed at the other employees with the knife, who were still struggling with the second man inside the store, according to the report.

Both men were able to exit the store. As they were walking to the Toyota, the first man threw cans of baby formula at the employees who were trying to get the car’s plate number.

Both shoplifters were described as white males in their early 20s.

The store said $747 worth of Similac baby formula was stolen.

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