3 charged with stealing from Oak Brook Nordstrom Rack, ramming police car, leading police on chase
WHEATON, Ill. (CBS) -- Three people appeared in bond court Wednesday on charges that they stole children's boots from a Nordstrom Rack in Oak Brook, then rammed a squad car and led police on a pursuit that ended on the Tri-State Tollway.
Doniesha Crew, 23, of south suburban Phoenix, Illinois; Terrance Reed, 37, of Chicago; and Jaquay Shines, 25, also of Chicago, each appeared in DuPage County Court in Wheaton Wednesday. Judge Michael Reidy set bond at $350,000 for Chew and Reed, and $150,000 for Shines.
All three defendants are charged with one count each of burglary, aggravated assault by threat with a motor vehicle, and criminal damage to government-supported property – and three counts of aggravated fleeing and eluding a police officer.
At 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, Oak Brook police were called for a retail theft at the Nordstrom Rack at 2155 22nd St., west of the Oakbrook Center Mall.
An investigation determined that Chew, Shines, and Reed all walked into the shoe department at Nordstrom Rack together – with Chew carrying empty bags, prosecutors said. Reed took four sets of children's boots from their boxes, put them in the bags the group brought, and put the boxes back on the shelves, prosecutors said. The group then left the store together, prosecutors said.
Officers turned on the lights and sirens on their squad cars when they arrived, at which point the car suspected of being involved in the theft – a Mazda 6 – slammed into the police car head on, according to the DuPage County State's Attorney's office.
Prosecutors said afterward, Chew drove off west on 22nd Street in the Mazda – reaching speeds higher than 100 mph as officers from multiple jurisdictions pursued the Mazda. CBS 2's Kris Habermehl reported Tuesday that Oak Brook police pursued the car on the eastbound Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) from Highland Avenue, then on the southbound to the Tri-State Tollway, and then about 150 feet on northbound I-55 before ending up back on the southbound Tri-State.
On the Tri-State just south of 75th Street, the Mazda was stopped. Habermehl reported spike strips were put down.
Prosecutors said after being stopped, Reed bailed out of the car and ran off – only to be apprehended about 100 yards away. Chew and Shines stayed in the car and were also each arrested, prosecutors said.
Meanwhile, an unmarked police car was also rammed by a semi-trailer truck at the scene. An officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The response backed up the southbound Tri-State all the way to Cermak Plaza as the afternoon rush began Tuesday. Habermehl compared traffic to "stuffing a bowling ball through a funnel."