Dairy Queen Employee Accused Of Trying To Heist Safe

ORLAND PARK, IL -- A Lansing man was arrested after fingerprints linked him to an attempted burglary at an Orland Park ice cream shop, prosecutors said. Jonathan Lofton, 23, appeared before Cook County Judge Michael Kane on a charge of burglary. Lofton was arrested and charged on May 2.

Around 11 a.m. April 16, Orland Park police received a report that sometime during the overnight hours someone had damaged a safe in a burglary attempt at Dairy Queen, 14460 S. LaGrange Road. Officers discovered a safe plate that had been pried off the safe and then tried to carry it out of the building. Latent fingerprints collected from the safe plate tied Lofton to the attempted heist, the prosecutor said.

Lofton had been an employee of Dairy Queen on the night of the burglary. He allegedly told police that he pretended to leave that ice cream store but hid inside the building. When all the other employees left, the prosecutor said that Lofton had unsuccessfully tried to break open and remove the safe from the building.

Lofton’s attorney told the judge that his parents and pastor were in the courtroom to support him. Lofton is in his second year of college. His attorney said that he wasn’t a flight risk.

The judge released Lofton on a $10,000 I-Bond. Kane also banned Lofton from all Dairy Queen stores while his case is pending. Lofton’s next court appearance is set for May 23 in Bridgeview.