DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Oak Brook Chief of Police Brian Strockis announced Tuesday, May 6, 2025 that charges have been filed against five Venezuelan migrants — all male juveniles currently residing in Chicago. The five individuals allegedly stole merchandise from two Oak Brook stores in two unrelated incidents. All five juveniles appeared at detention hearings Tuesday afternoon where Judge Chantelle Porter ordered three of the five juveniles be detained.
Oak Brook police officers responded about 3:00 p.m. Monday, May 5, 2025 to a call of a retail theft at the Nordstrom store, located at 10 Oak Brook Center. The team of three juveniles entered the Nordstrom store and one of the juveniles entered a fitting room. The two other juveniles brought items to the juvenile in the fitting room. The juvenile in the fitting room then exited the fitting room, and a loss prevention officer discovered that an item valued at approximately $138 was allegedly missing from the store. All three juveniles then allegedly exited the store where they were met by the loss prevention officer. The juveniles physically struggled with the loss prevention officer, with one of them throwing a punch at the loss prevention officer. All three minors then fled into the mall where officers with the Oak Brook Police Department took them into custody following a brief foot chase.
Oak Brook police officers next responded about 3:42 p.m. Monday May 5, 2025, to a call of a retail theft at the Macy’s store, located at 1 Oak Brook Center. Two of the juveniles entered the store, allegedly selected six items of clothing valued at more than $300, and entered a fitting room where they cut off the security sensors. The juveniles then exited the store without paying for the merchandise where they were met by officers with the Oak Brook Police Department and taken into custody. The officers recovered a thirteen-inch kitchen knife with an eight-inch blade in the waistband of one of the juveniles.
All five juveniles are charged with one count of Burglary, a Class 2 Felony.
Additionally, each of three juveniles that were allegedly working together as a team, are also charged with one count of Robbery (Class 2 Felony), one count of Misdemeanor Resisting a Police Officer, and one count of Misdemeanor Retail Theft
Among the team of three involved in the robbery, one juvenile also faces an additional charge of Misdemeanor Assault.
The other two individuals, allegedly working together as a team, each face additional charges of one count of Retail Theft, a Class 3 Felony.
One of the juveniles in the team of two is also charged with one count of Armed Violence, a Class X Felony, and one count of Misdemeanor Resisting a Police Officer.
“With the school year coming to a close and the warm weather upon us, the Oak Brook Mall will certainly be a destination for many this summer. While the Mall and the entire Oak Brook community is extremely welcoming, I want to emphasize that it is welcoming only to those who obey the law. The Oak Brook Police Department is extremely well-trained and prepared to arrest anyone who comes to the Mall or Oak Brook intent on criminal activity. In DuPage County, we will not stand for the type of behavior alleged against these defendants who, thanks to the alert loss prevention officers and the Oak Brook Police Department, quickly found themselves arrested and charged and now facing prosecution. What I find particularly troubling is the allegation that in one of the incidents, one of the accused armed himself with a thirteen-inch knife. Thankfully, no one was injured and all five of the juveniles were safely taken into custody. Make no mistake, law enforcement in DuPage County remains vigilant and if you steal from any of our retail establishments, you will be arrested, charged and prosecuted. Once again, I commend the Oak Brook Police Department for their continued efforts in protecting our local businesses and keeping the Oak Brook Mall safe for all of us to enjoy. I also thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Brandon Metcalf and Michael Pingaj for their work in securing charges against these five juveniles.”
— DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert B. Berlin
“These five illegal migrants came to Oak Brook with criminal intentions and they were met with a large scale police response to bring them to justice. The offenders believed they could outrun the police, and one was armed with a large knife. They found out that our officers are well prepared for any incident they encounter and we will continue to proactively police our borders. I would like to thank our team for their bravery and all the great work they do on a daily basis. I’d also like to thank State’s Attorney Bob Berlin and his office for charging these offenders with multiple felonies, which sends a strong message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated in DuPage County.”
— Oak Brook Chief of Police Brian Strockis
“Members of the public are reminded that this complaint contains only charges and is not proof of the defendants’ guilt. The juveniles are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.”
— DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office
Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem holds a press conference outside Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s mansion, 410 East Jackson Street, Springfield, Illinois on the violence resulting from sanctuary policies. YouTube Tips ⓘ
NYPD said more than 10 suspected gang members of Diablo 42 (also known as the Devils of 42nd Street – a younger offshoot of the Tren de Aragua gang of Venezuelans) — attacked two NYPD officers in uniform as they were trying to make an arrest of a suspect that attempted to rob a victim of their purse in Times Square (Jonathan Dienst/NBC New York). YouTube Tips ⓘ
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