DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Oak Brook Chief of Police Brian Strockis announced today that charges have been filed against five Venezuelan migrants for allegedly stealing more than $2,000 worth of merchandise from two Oak Brook stores. Miguel Ortiz-Griman, 24 (d.o.b. 5/22/1999), Felix Garcia-Diaz, 25 (d.o.b. 1/4/1999), Daniel Fernandez-Rodriguez, 18 (d.o.b. 10/18/2005), Samuel Alvarez-Garcia, 25 (d.o.b. 10/31/1998) and Oswaldo Rivero-Herrera, 33 (d.o.b. 3/20/1990), all of Venezuela with no known permanent address, appeared at First Appearance Court this morning where Judge Joshua Dieden denied the State’s motion to detain the men pre-trial. All five defendants are charged with one count of Burglary (Class 2 Felony) and one count of Retail Theft (Class 3 Felony).
On February 20, 2024, at approximately 7:57 p.m., a citizen reported to authorities he allegedly observed four men stealing merchandise from the Nike store located at 2155 W. 22nd Street. Officers with the Oak Brook Police Department located the vehicle allegedly involved parked outside the Ulta store located in the same mall. Officers conducted surveillance on the vehicle, allegedly occupied by Ortiz-Griman and Garcia-Diaz, and a short time later allegedly observed Fernandez-Rodriguez, Alvarez-Garcia and Rivero-Herrera exit the Ulta store and enter the vehicle. Officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop but the vehicle allegedly drove around the officer’s squad car before being boxed in by other officers. All five men were taken into custody at this time. It is alleged that the men stole nine fragrance items from the Ulta store with a value of approximately $1,331 as well as shoes and a hat from the Nike store valued at approximately $726.98.
“It is alleged that when the defendants were taken into custody, they were laughing at the officers and not taking this matter seriously,” Berlin said. “While the defendants in this case may not take the charges against them seriously, I can assure you, in DuPage County we take these allegations very seriously. Make no mistake, law enforcement in DuPage County remains vigilant and if you steal from any of our retail establishments, you will be arrested, charged and prosecuted. I commend the Oak Brook Police Department for their continued efforts in protecting our local businesses as well as the individual who alerted the authorities. I also thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Bethany Jackson and Michael Pingaj for their work in securing charges against these five men.”
“These five arrests add to the significant number of illegal migrant arrests we have had in the past four months,” Strockis said. “We will continue to be pro-active in our efforts in keeping our community safe. Much of society is tired of hearing about these types of crimes and I’d like to thank the witness for being alert and contacting the police in this incident. I’d also like to thank State’s Attorney Bob Berlin and his office for their continued guidance and appropriate charges in these incidents.”
The next court date for all five defendants is scheduled for March 18, 2024, for arraignment in front of Judge Mia McPherson.
Members of the public are reminded that this complaint contains only charges and is not proof of the defendants’ guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
