2 Groups of Thieves Hit Northbrook Store Twice on Same Day

Call it an unfortunate case of déjà theft crew for Northbrook police and employees of an upscale store in the Village Square of Northbrook shopping center.

That's one way to describe a pair of March 19 retail theft incidents that had two separate groups trying to make off with items from Saks 5th Avenue/Off Fifth, 127 Skokie Blvd., at different times that day. In both cases, authorities apprehended the suspects, eventually charging five people in connection with the two incidents, the Pioneer Press reports.

Here's a look at how the events of that day went down:

First Incident (About 1 p.m.)

Saks security contacted police after witnessing four men fleeing the store with purses valued between $4,000 and $5,000. The men drove away from the shopping center, and a chase soutbound along the Edens Expressway involving police from Wilmette and Skokie police ensued, the Pioneer Press reports.

The suspects eventually were pulled over at Oakton Avenue, about 9 miles from the store, the report added.

DeJean Elmore, 21, of the 4800 block of South Bishop Street, Chicago; and Cornelius Laron Byrd, 18, of the 16000 block of East Route 114, Momence, were charged with felony retail theft. Byrd also was held on a Cook County Sheriff's Office warrant for probation violation.

The other two men in the car—Jamaries N. Jones, 21, of the 5900 block of West Ohio Street, Chicago; and Kalvin D. Phillips, 21, of the 600 block of N. Waller Avenue—were not charged in connection with the Saks incident, but they were turned over to other police departments on previous bond-forfeiture warrants.

Second Incident (About 8 p.m.)

Northbrook police were contacted again when Saks security reported seeing another group of four people trying to steal merchandise, the Pioneer Press reports. The suspects fled the store when officers arrived, and police chased them on foot, finally catching three of the individuals.

Michael Lee, 29; Darlene S. Sims, 34; and Larriesha J. Cosey, 24—all from Milwaukee—were charged with felony retail theft.

A K-9 unit from Highland Park and Glencoe police were called to help Northbrook officers search for the fourth suspect near the Chicago Botanical Garden, but no one was found, the Pioneer Press reports.