Four accused of stealing clothing from Oak Brook stores: prosecutors

Charges have been filed against four Chicago residents for allegedly stealing merchandise from two Oak Brook stores in two separate incidents, prosecutors said.

Talia Martinez-Pacheco, 23, of the 1500 block of North Keating Avenue; Santiago Rojas-Galea, 18, of the 800 block of North Homan Avenue; Cheryl Gryer, 26, of the 6400 block of South Sangamon Avenue; and Daiveon Watson, 21, of the 100 block of North Hamlin Avenue, appeared in First Appearance Court on Aug. 29 charged with one count each of burglary and retail theft, according to a DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office news release.

About 6:30 p.m. Aug. 21, Martinez-Pacheco and Rojas-Galea entered the Macy’s department store located at 1 Oakbrook Center, selected numerous items of clothing valued at $2,378 and allegedly left the store without paying for the merchandise, according to the release.

In a separate incident, about 6 p.m. Aug. 21, Gryer and Watson went to the Nordstrom department store located at 10 Oakbrook Center where Watson allegedly entered the store, selected numerous clothing items with a value of about $834 and allegedly left the store without paying for the merchandise, authorities said.

After an investigation, all four defendants were arrested, according to the release.

“As evidenced by these recent arrests, law enforcement in DuPage County remains on the lookout for anyone who would attempt to steal from any of our retail establishments,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in the release. “Make no mistake, if you are caught stealing in DuPage County, you will be arrested, charged and prosecuted. For their alleged behavior, if found guilty, the four defendants in these two cases will find themselves facing a possible prison sentence of up to seven years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.”

“These two cases exemplify the Oak Brook Police Department’s commitment to keeping our community safe,” Oak Brook Chief of Police Brian Strockis said in the release. “It also shows how strong our partnership with loss prevention continues to be.”

The next court date for Martinez-Pacheco and Rojas-Galea is scheduled for Sept. 16 for arraignment. The next court date for Gryer and Watson is scheduled for Sept. 9 for arraignment.