Joliet Officer Busts Couple Who Stole His Wallet, Identity
JOLIET, Ill. (CBS) -- Two people are in police custody this morning, and a third is facing charges, after being pulled over by a police officer whose identity they allegedly had stolen just two days earlier.
As WBBM Newsradio's Dave Berner reports, Joliet police said an off-duty officer lost his wallet Sunday afternoon as he left the Walgreens drugstore at 1163 W. Jefferson St.
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Surveillance video showed the wallet falling, and a woman picking it up. Cameras also captured an image of the vehicle in which she and a man left the store, and reportedly showed that the woman's hair was dyed with a distinctive gold tint.
Meanwhile, the police officer discovered his wallet was missing and checked his bank account online.
"Within a few hours, his credit card had been used to charge two cell phones and purchase items at a local gas station and grocery store," Joliet police Cmdr. Al Roechner said.
It was also used to try to get money from an ATM at Wal-Mart.
The officer reported the theft and contacted his bank.
He also reviewed the video with a detective and saw the suspect and her car.
"And when he was on patrol Tuesday afternoon, he spotted a vehicle that matched that description being driven by a woman with dyed-gold hair at Jefferson and Bridge streets and made a traffic stop," Roechner said.
The officer learned that Margaret T. Davis, of the 200 block of Ruby Street in Joliet, had a suspended license, so she and her husband, Gerald L. Davis, 37, were questioned as the car was towed.
Officers searching the car found the cell phones that had been purchased using their co-workers' credit card, Roechner said.
After detectives interviewed Margaret and Gerald Davis, they picked up Margaret's son, Roushan R. Woods, 29, for questioning.
"Margaret Davis admitted to picking up the wallet, Gerald Davis attempted to use the card at an ATM, while Woods made the purchases and signed the victim's name," Roechner said.
Margaret Davis was charged with theft, three counts of identity theft and identity theft conspiracy and booked into the county jail.
Woods was charged with three counts of identity theft and forgery and booked into the Will County Jail.
Gerald Davis was charged with attempted identity theft and released on bond.
The Joliet Herald-News contributed to this report.
