Latest news with #CookCountySheriff
CBS News
4 days ago
- CBS News
3 charged with stealing over $10K in merchandise from Alo, Lululemon stores, Cook County Sheriff says
The Cook County Sheriff's Office said it has arrested three people for stealing more than $10,000 worth of merchandise from Chicago area Alo and Lululemon stores. The sherif's office said they were notified on July 21 that two women had stolen merchandise from an Alo store in Skokie, then left in a black Chevy with no license plates. Later that day, sheriff's police pulled over a black Chevy in Chicago's Auburn Gresham neighborhood for not having license plates. When the officers searched the Chevy, they found bags on Alo and Lululemon merchandise with the security sensors still attached. The man driving the car and the two women inside were arrested. The sheriff's office said further investigation found the women, 20-year-old Tekiah White and 22-year-old Breauna Martin, had previously been identified as allegedly being involved in retail thefts at Ulta stores in Chicago and River Forest. The sheriff's office said White and the driver, 22-year-old Tyshun Williams, were allegedly involved in previous thefts at a Lululemon store on Rush Street in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood. Martin and White were charged with three counts of felony retail theft. Williams was charged with one count of felony retail theft. The three appeared in court for a detention hearing and were ordered released from custody until their next court appearance.
CBS News
06-08-2025
- CBS News
Cook County Sheriff substation still not open in South Loop, despite planned June launch
A Cook County Sheriff's substation was supposed to open in the South Loop near the Roosevelt CTA Red Line stop on June 1, but hasn't even as the area continues to struggle with violent crime. The substation is marked, but not up and running yet. The Cook County Sheriff's Office said they have a presence in the area, but did not say when the substation's doors would open. A 16-year-old girl was stabbed Tuesday night just feet from the Red Line stop and where the substation is supposed to be. Chicago police said the stabbing started as an argument, and the teen was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries. "This area of the South Loop has a been a problematic area for a long time, so we tried to be creative and see how we can bring more resources to this area. So I asked the Cook County Sheriff for help," said 34th Ward Alderman Bill Conway. The substation was supposed to be operable in early June, but now in early August it still isn't. "I will say I do appreciate the sheriffs are operational. They are working on it. And I do hope we can get it open as soon as possible," Conway said. According to the sheriff's office, "as soon as possible" could be as soon s Monday, saying in a statement that they are already patrolling the area and, "We are engaged in ongoing conversations with local residents, business owners, and elected officials regarding concerns about crime." Another Chicago substation for the sheriff's office in River North has focused on specific crimes like carjackings, car thefts and retail theft. "This sheriff's office is really going to be looking at overall crime, but specially looking what's going on in the Jewel parking lot here as well as at this L station as well, where there's been a lot of problems over the years," Conway said. The sheriff's office said that despite public perception, crime is down in the South Loop compared to last year. A spokesperson for the sheriff's office said as of July 29, 2025 there have been 88 reported violent crimes in the Near South Side community area, down from 100 in the same time period in 2024, 108 in 2023 and 117 in 2022. The sheriff's office said when adjusted for population, the Near South Side saw 33 violent crimes per 10,000 people, which is below the citywide average of 57 crimes per 10,000 people. The Sheriff's Office is finalizing the installation of infrastructure at the South Loop substation and is working to open the location as soon as Monday. This space was offered to us as it was vacant and the community requested our presence in the area. We are engaged in ongoing conversations with local residents, business owners, and elected officials regarding concerns about crime. Even though the substation is not officially open, we have been assigning officers to patrol in the area. We look forward to our partnership with the community and addressing crime and quality of life concerns, as we are doing at our substations in Austin, Auburn Gresham, River North, Water Tower Place, and One Chicago.
CBS News
04-07-2025
- CBS News
Cook County Sheriff's Office warn of phone scam
Cook County Sheriff's Office warns of phone scam asking for payments Cook County Sheriff's Office warns of phone scam asking for payments Cook County Sheriff's Office warns of phone scam asking for payments The Cook County Sheriff's Office is warning about a new phone scam aiming to con people out of thousands of dollars. The office said the caller claimed a person failed to respond to a grand jury subpoena and now must deposit $9,500 into a Cook County Jail kiosk or face arrest. The sheriff's office reminds the public that no government agency requires people to make payments at the Cook County jail or to anyone else. The sheriff's office advises anyone who encounters this call to get their full name, badge number, and phone number. They also advise not to follow the caller's instructions but to call the department they claim to represent.
CBS News
02-07-2025
- CBS News
Chicago shooting on CTA Red Line train near Roosevelt stop critically injures man
A man was critically injured in a shooting on a CTA Red Line train near Chicago's South Loop early Wednesday morning. Just before 4:30 a.m., CTA officials said a 29-year-old man got into a fight with another man on a southbound Red Line train in the 1100 block of South State Street. The other man fired shots, hitting the 29-year-old in the thigh and buttocks. The victim was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition. The shooter got off the train at the Roosevelt stop and ran away south on State Street. The stretch of Roosevelt in the South Loop where the shooting happened is known for issues, and Ald. Bill Conway said he has worked with the Cook County Sheriff's Office to open a staffed substation just yards away. "I can tell you that there will be additional sheriff's officers in that building. It's not just going to be some informational center," he said. Conway said the substation is due to be up and running this summer. "It's no secret that Chicago Police Department is stretched thin," he said. "So as a result, I reached out to the sheriff's office to provide additional presence there. I am grateful that that is going to be happening in the next couple of weeks." Conway said he's met with CPD leadership about this case and believe the two me knew each other before the shooting. Police scanner traffic reveals officers described the shooter as wearing a red baseball cap, pink shirt, light blue jeans and white shoes, and that officers reviewing surveillance video believe the shooter threw his gun away in a garbage can on the Roosevelt station platform. No arrests have been made and an investigation by Area Three detectives is ongoing.
CBS News
12-06-2025
- CBS News
Freight train burglaries, sales of stolen cargo are a lucrative business, authorities say
Last fall, CBS Skywatch was overhead as thieves pulled off a freight train heist on Chicago's West Side. The wild scene played out for hours as several freight train cars were broken into, and dozens of people walked away with big-screen TVs. In that October incident, police sources said Chicago police officers waited more than an hour for Union Pacific officers to respond and secure the tracks. Since then, there have been several more similar incidents, including one just last week in west suburban Bellwood. Hundreds of cardboard boxes ended up littered across the tracks after thieves broke in and stole valuable items. Cargo thieves usually target items that are in high demand or have big price tags. The stolen goods are then sold at 100% profit, with ads popping up on social media with what may seem like offers too good to be true. "It's a lucrative business," said Cmdr. Michael Ware, head of the Cook County Sherriff's Office Organized Retail Crime Unit. "You know, there's a lot of money to be made." Inside an unassuming storefront on Chicago's South Side, the Cook County Sheriff's office said it just recovered $400,000 worth of stolen exercise equipment. All of it was snatched from train cars in Joliet earlier this year, according to Ware, who investigates such train burglaries in his role. "It's like a mini-store. Mini-Home Depot, essentially," said Ware. "A lot of times, the retail theft can lead to, you know, gun recoveries and other criminal activity. It's just like the gateway crime." Isadore House, 57, was arrested and charged with selling the stolen merchandise. The rate of cargo thefts is also increasing. According to Verisk, a firm that tracks cargo thefts, this year there is an average of 338 theft reports per month — up from 136 in recent years. This year, Chicago has experienced the third highest volume of cargo thefts, behind Southern California and Dallas. House will be in court on Thursday.
