Oak Brook has seen a rise in property crime rates in recent years, along with much of the Chicagoland area. | Unsplash/Kenny Eliason
Oak Brook has seen a rise in property crime rates in recent years, along with much of the Chicagoland area. | Unsplash/Kenny Eliason
The Oak Brook Police Department reported a criminal assailant pushed back officers and accused them of racism before fleeing on foot.
The perpetrator was under suspicion of stealing a woman’s wallet. He is accused of pushing a police officer and fleeing on foot after a traffic stop.
"On April 26 at approximately 7:30 p.m., we were called to Nordstrom Rack, located at 2155 W 22nd St., for a wallet theft," Administrative Sergeant Reid Foltyniewicz, with the Oak Brook Police Department, said in a statement. "Upon arrival, the victim notified the officer her credit card was currently being used at Apple, located at 70 Oakbrook Center. Our Special Response Team was in the area and stopped a gray Chrysler Pacifica mini van with no license plate."
While he was arrested, his accomplice sped off from the scene, leading police on a chase that was cut off.
"The black male offender exited the vehicle, stated the officers were racist, and shoved the officer fleeing on foot west toward Route 83 at Hodges," Foltyniewicz said. "The officer chased the offender into Oakbrook Terrace, where he lost sight of him in a backyard. At the same time, the female offender fled in the Chrysler toward Elmhurst. Elmhurst Police attempted to stop the vehicle, but it fled at a high rate of speed. With the assistance of Bolingbrook, DuPage County Sheriff, Elmhurst, Hinsdale, Lombard, MERIT K-9s, Oakbrook Terrace, Villa Park and Wheaton, we took him into custody. Due to the evolving nature of this case, we are collecting additional evidence before seeking felony charges."
Oak Brook has seen a rise in property crime rates in recent years, along with much of the Chicagoland area. In November 2021, the Louis Vuitton store was subject to a "grab-and-run" in which several thieves took off with a combined $120,000 in merchandise, ABC 7 reported.
A family was robbed outside the Neiman Marcus store in late April. In that incident, a car pulled up and the family watched as four to five gunmen exited and took the luxury goods the family had just purchased inside. The car was described as "blacked-out."
The Oak Brook Mall was also the scene of a high-profile shooting at the height of last year’s Christmas shopping season. Four were shot in that incident, Dupage Policy Journal reported.
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