A Naperville woman has been charged with using her 9- and 5-year-old daughters to steal more than 200 items from a retail store at Yorktown Mall.
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Lombard Chief of Police Tom Wirsing announced Friday that the 36-year-old woman has been charged with two counts of Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor (Class 1 Felony), one count of Burglary (Class 2 Felony) and one count of Retail Theft (Class 3 Felony).
On Thursday at approximately 1:24pm, officers with the Lombard Police Department were dispatched to the JC Penney department store in the Yorktown Mall Drive regarding a suspected retail theft. After investigating, police determined that the suspect, once inside the store, used her two daughters to help her conceal merchandise in a piece of luggage and inside a baby stroller. In all, it is alleged that the theft includes two hundred seven items of clothing, one pair of shoes, three toys and the piece of luggage totaling $4,607.97.
The suspect was released on her own recognizance at the scene.
“The very idea that [the accused] enlisted her two young daughters to help her steal more than $4,600 worth of merchandise is extremely disturbing,” Berlin said. “Retail theft, which, according to the National Retail Foundation amounted to nearly $35 billion in losses nationwide in 2022, is not a victimless crime. Losses are ultimately paid for by consumers, employees, business owners, shareholders and entire communities.”
The suspect’s next court appearance is scheduled for July 22, 2024, for arraignment in front of Judge Ann Celine O’Hallaren Walsh.
