Three Chicago women have been accused of stealing merchandise from the Nike Well Collective Store in Naperville and fled in a car to Chicago.
Emiaya Shannon, 27, Shawanda Outlaw, 28, and Martasia Barney, 27, were each charged with one count of burglary and retail theft. Barney was also charged with misdemeanor evading and eluding a police officer, according to a news release from the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s office and the Naperville Police Department.
When all three appeared in DuPage County court, they were given pre-trial freedom on the condition that they not enter any Nike stores.
Suspects allegedly take more than $300 of clothes from Naperville Nike store
This Article Includes [hide]
According to authorities, Shannon and Outlaw entered the store at 217 S. Main St. around 4:20 p.m. on Wednesday, April 9. Authorities claim that the two took roughly 20 items of clothes worth more than $300 and fled the store with them. Prosecutors say the two then got into Barney’s car and fled.
A Naperville police officer attempted to pull over the car, activating the squad car’s lights and siren, but Barney allegedly refused to stop and continued driving. A Chicago Police Department helicopter was subsequently dispatched to assist in tracking down the vehicle, and the three women were captured in Chicago shortly thereafter.
Retail theft ‘not a victimless crime’
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin praised police enforcement’s efforts to keep citizens and businesses safe.
“The apprehension of the defendants in this case sends the simple message to would-be thieves that if you come to DuPage County to steal, we will work together and use every tool available to us, including air support, to arrest, charge and prosecute you. Retail theft is not a victimless crime and results in lost profits for business owners, lost wages for employees and higher prices for consumers,” Berlin said in the news release.
Naperville Chief of Police Jason Arres said he was proud of the several agencies that worked together to apprehend the offenders.
“The collaboration involved in this case highlights how dedicated Chicagoland law enforcement agencies are to catching criminals. Even though the crime didn’t happen in their community, these agencies are willing to provide people, technology, and other resources to help each other and achieve our common goal of holding people accountable for victimizing our communities,” Arres said.
All three women are scheduled to appear in court on May 5.