Chicago Man Charged in Downers Grove Jewelry Store Burglary

A Chicago man was arrested and charged Thursday in connection with a jewelry store burglary that occurred in downtown Downers Grove last month.

Darrell M. Sims, 45, of the 3600 block of South Rhodes Avenue, is accused of stealing $107,000 worth of items from Dariusz Jewelers, 5121 Main St., on April 18—the same day Downers Grove faced historic flooding, police said.

According to police reports, the burglary occurred just before 4:21 a.m., when a tripped alarm sent police to the store. A nearby officer arrived within 60 seconds and saw that the front glass door was broken.

Police surrounded the store when they arrived but there was no one inside. An evidence technician was dispatched to the store at 5:12 a.m. to process the scene and gather evidence.

An initial report stated that approximately $30,000 to $35,000 worth of jewelry was stolen. That number increased following a complete inventory of the store, police said.

Sims was arrested Thursday after detectives received a tip from the Chicago Police Department. Downers Grove and Chicago police, assisted by the DuPage County FIAT SWAT team, executed a search warrant at Sims' apartment, where proceeds of the burglary were recovered, authorities said.

Downers Grove Police Chief Robert A. Porter announced today that a suspect has been arrested in connection with the burglary that occurred at Dariusz Jewelers.

Sims was charged with one count of burglary. His next scheduled court date is May 14 in Wheaton.

Police Blotter information is provided by local law enforcement agencies. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions taken on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.

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