Two men accused of stealing clothing from Oak Brook Macy’s

Two men were charged Dec. 2 with retail theft for allegedly stealing more than $660 worth of merchandise from the Oak Brook Macy’s store, authorities said.

Edys Alberto Herrera-Gotopo, 20, and Johan Gavidia-Rojas, 18, both of Venezuela and staying in Chicago, appeared at First Appearance Court where the state’s motion to detain the men pretrial was denied.

Both defendants are charged with one count of retail theft, according to a DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office news release.

About 7:10 p.m. Dec. 1, Herrera-Gotopo and Gavidia-Rojas entered Macy’s together, both carrying empty bags. The men worked in tandem with one man selecting items of clothing and putting the items in his bag while the other man acted as a lookout. The men would switch roles between lookout and bagger, according to the release.

Both men then exited the store without paying for the items where they were met by Oak Brook police officers. Herrera-Gotopo was taken into custody at this time without incident. Gavidia-Rojas attempted to flee on foot but was arrested after a brief foot pursuit. The total value of the items taken was about $665, according to the release.

“The quick apprehension of the defendants in this case sends the message that law enforcement in DuPage County is ready for any would-be shoplifters and if you steal from any of our retail establishments, you will be arrested, charged and prosecuted,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in the release.

“We are relentless in our mission to arrest all offenders entering Oak Brook. Our community supports us 100% and we will continue to spread the word to criminals to stay out of DuPage County, especially Oak Brook,” Oak Brook Deputy Chief of Police Reid Foltyniewicz said in the release.

The next court date for Herrera-Gotopo is scheduled for Dec. 11 for arraignment. The next court date for Gavidia-Rojas is scheduled for Dec. 18 for arraignment.

As a condition of their release, both defendants are prohibited from entering the Oak Brook Macy’s.