Joliet police arrest JCPenney employee accused of stealing from store

JOLIET – Joliet police arrested another JCPenney employee accused of stealing from the store at the Louis Joliet Mall.

At 8:30 p.m. Thursday, police arrested Alexis R. House, 18, of the 1100 block of Elizabeth Court in Crest Hill, on charges of theft and retail theft. A warrant was issued for House's arrest Wednesday and officers took her into custody at the police department.

House was a JCPenney employee who allegedly stole between $10,000 and $100,000 cash from the store between May 23 and July 28, according to the criminal complaint. She also allegedly under-rang merchandise at the cash register so it would reflect about $305 for clothes that had a full retail value of about $1,444.

House was booked into the Will County jail Thursday on a $20,000 bond, of which 10 percent is needed for bail.

Joliet Police Deputy Chief Ed Gregory said the store had been investigating House and found she made more than 60 fraudulent transactions totaling more than $10,000 but less than $100,000.

Gregory said he didn't know if there was a connection between House and Aurora Acevedo, 41, another JCPenney employee, who was arrested on Aug. 3 for allegedly stealing $1,400 worth of clothes from the store.

Police are also seeking to arrest Jesse M. Lopez, 36, and Marvellin Gonzalez, 31, both of the 3100 block of Alyssa Street in Plano, for allegedly stealing more than $300 worth of shoes, clothes and sunglasses from JCPenney. The two suspects share the same address as Acevedo.

When asked if there was any connection between all four suspects or if they had been working together, JCPenney Spokesman Joseph Thomas said in an email the company does not comment on asset protection activities.

A call to a manager at the JCPenney store in the mall was not immediately returned Friday.