Elmhurst Theft Suspect Had Stolen Machine Gun: Police

ELMHURST, IL – An Elmhurst retail theft suspect was later discovered with a stolen machine gun, authorities said Wednesday.

Iziah Benavidez, 23, of Rolling Meadows was charged with unlawful possession of a machine gun, unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, and two retail theft counts, police said.

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He was ordered to stay in jail until his trial.

The charges stem from an investigation involving the Elmhurst Kohl's at 303 S. Route 83.

On Saturday, Kohl's security employees reported a retail theft committed by two men that occurred six days earlier, according to DuPage County prosecutors. The men stole two backpacks and then loaded them with merchandise, police said.

They drove away in a Nissan, one of them later identified as Benavidez.

On Monday, Elmhurst police officers spotted the Nissan and stopped it, prosecutors said. They were told one of the occupants, Benavidez, had stolen a battery charger from the same Kohl's earlier that day. The officers said they saw the battery charger in plain view in the backseat.

In the car, police found a loaded 10mm Glock 29 under the driver's seat with a 24-round capacity magazine and a switch that would enable the gun to be fired automatically, prosecutors said. Chicago police reported it stolen in January, police said.

A 9mm pistol was found in the glove compartment, authorities said.

"In today's environment, police officers must be equipped with the resources necessary to effectively respond to criminals who repeatedly target our community – including those armed with dangerous, fully automatic weapons," Police Chief Michael McLean said in a statement.