Two men charged with burglarizing Elmhurst, Hillside Walgreens: prosecutors

A motion to detain pretrial two Chicago men accused of stealing more than $1,000 worth of merchandise from an Elmhurst Walgreens store was denied March 26.

The 37-year-old and 23-year-old offenders both appeared in DuPage County First Appearance Court, each charged with one count of burglary and one count of retail theft, according to a DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office news release.

About 11:42 p.m. March 25, the two suspects and a third unidentified individual allegedly entered the Walgreens located at 160 N. Robert Palmer Drive and took about $1,039 worth of items off the shelf, including hair care and health testing products, according to the release.

The men allegedly concealed the items and left the store without paying for them. A short time later, the same three men allegedly stole more than $3,000 worth of merchandise from a Walgreens store in Hillside and led authorities on a high-speed chase as they tried to flee, according to the release.

During the chase, police unsuccessfully deployed spike strips in an attempt to stop the vehicle, a 2016 Dodge Dart. A Chicago Police Department helicopter began surveilling the Dodge, which came to a stop at 72nd Street and Stewart Avenue in Chicago. All three men fled on foot at this time. Chicago police arrested two of the suspects at a building in the area, according to the report.

“In DuPage County, we do not tolerate stealing from our businesses and anyone who does so will quickly find themselves arrested, charged and prosecuted,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in the release. “I thank the Elmhurst and Hillside police departments for their efforts in this case. I thank the Chicago Police Department for air support and for apprehending the defendants as they attempted to flee.”

“The shared technology and investigative partnerships with neighboring law enforcement agencies was key to building a strong organized retail crime case against these defendants in DuPage County,” Elmhurst Chief of Police Michael McLean said in the release. “I thank the Hillside and Chicago Police Departments for their assistance in locating these offenders and working with Elmhurst officers to bring them to justice.”

The men will appear in court on April 22 and April 23, respectively.