Laughing Men Steal From Oak Brook Stores: Cops

OAK BROOK, IL – A witness alerted police to men stealing merchandise Tuesday from an Oak Brook shoe store, authorities said.

The five suspects were identified as Venezuelan migrants.

Before the men were done, they stole shoes and a hat at the Nike store and nine fragrances from Ulta, which is in the same shopping center on West 22nd Street, police said. The items were valued at nearly $2,100.

About 8 a.m., a witness informed police about the suspects at the Nike store, according to a news release from DuPage County prosecutors.

When the men drove away, police tried to stop them. The driver attempted to veer around a squad car before being boxed in by other officers, police said.

The suspects were identified as Miguel Ortiz-Griman, 24; Felix Garcia-Diaz, 25; Daniel Fernandez-Rodriguez, 18; Samuel Alvarez-Garcia, 25; and Oswaldo Rivero-Herrera, 33.

They were charged with the felonies of burglary and retail theft.

"It is alleged that when the defendants were taken into custody, they were laughing at the officers and not taking this matter seriously," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement. "While the defendants in this case may not take the charges against them seriously, I can assure you, in DuPage County we take these allegations very seriously."

In the same statement, Oak Brook Police Chief Brian Strockis said, "These five arrests add to the significant number of illegal migrant arrests we have had in the past four months."

DuPage County Judge Joshua Dieden denied prosecutors' request to jail the men before trial.