Woman Arrested After Retail Theft, Police Chase, Crash

LIBERTYVILLE, IL — A Wisconsin woman faces charges for allegations she stole from a local grocery store and led authorities on a high-speed chase before crashing her car in Libertyville.

Shaquana Vanlandingham, 23, now faces charges of aggravated fleeing/eluding a police officer, reckless driving, driving while license suspended, leaving the scene of a property damage crash and disobeying a stop sign following the April 6 incident.

Police say they were first called to investigate a retail theft at Mariano's, 1720 N. Milwaukee Avenue in Vernon Hills, at about 6:30 p.m. on April 6 when the alleged thieves fled in a silver Chevrolet west on Lake Street from North Milwaukee Avenue, according to a report from the Libertyville Police Department.

An officer later spotted the same vehicle headed west on Lake Street near Butler Lake Park and tried to pull the car over, according to the police report. The driver did not stop and fled the area at a high rate of speed through the residential neighborhood.

The officer spotted the Chevrolet pass several vehicles, run stop signs and drive in a reckless manner. The officer terminated the chase and learned the Chevrolet was involved in a crash a short time later at Lake Street and Butterfield Road.

Officers responded to the scene and learned a driver and two passengers in the silver Chevrolet fled on foot heading toward the Pine Meadow Golf Course. All three were located, taken into custody and brought back to the accident scene.

The driver, who was identified as Vanlandingham, was taken to the hospital for medical care for injuries that are not considered life-threatening. The other two passengers were identified and released on scene without charges pending the investigation of the retail theft by the Vernon Hills Police Department, according to police.

Bail was set at $200,000 for Vanlandingham.