Group of Newly Arrived Migrants Allegedly Behind String of Burglaries Plaguing Chicago Suburb: Police

A band of newly arrived migrants who may be part of a bigger crime ring are allegedly behind a string of retail thefts and burglaries plaguing a Chicago suburb, police said.

In all, 47 migrants have been arrested since October in the village of Oak Brook, about 20 miles west of the Second City, Chief of Police Brian Strockis told Fox News, adding many of the incidents have targeted a Macy’s in the local mall.

On Jan. 13, Jaime Ubaldo Obando-Andrade, 32, allegedly tried on a $395 jacket at the department store and walked out without paying for it, according to a news release from DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin’s office.

Police found approximately $3,000 worth of suspected stolen goods in Obando-Andrade’s car, as well as rolls of tin foil and a fake driver’s license, they said.

Shoplifters will sometimes line bags with tinfoil to get around theft detection devices in stores, authorities said.

Officers also found an I.C.E. electronic monitoring device that Obando-Andrade allegedly cut off, according to the State’s Attorney’s Office. Obando-Andrade was denied pre-trial release.

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In October, Venezuelan migrants Luis Mendez-Gomez, 28, and Frank Montez-Davila, 23, were arrested after they allegedly stole nearly $3,000 in high-end cosmetics from Macy’s and granted pre-trial release.

A week before that, another pair of Venezuelan migrants were arrested and charged with burglary and retail theft after they separately stole clothes from the store, authorities said.

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