Downers Grove Man Stole Wallets From Woman, 76, In Oak Brook: Police

DOWNERS GROVE, IL — A Downers Grove man faces felony charges after police say he and another man stole wallets from a senior citizen and then tried to buy over $6,000 in Apple products with the woman's credit cards.

Marcus Bebino, 22, of the 700 block of Chicago Ave., was charged with aggravated battery of a senior citizen and burglary to a motor vehicle in connection with the March 3 incident. Petrica Valerian Balan, 24, of Bowie, Maryland, faces the same charges, along with obstructing a peace officer and improper use of registration.

Police were called to the Whole Foods at 215 S. Rte. 83 around 1:30 p.m. on March 3 for a report of a car burglary. The woman, 76, told police that Bebino and Balan told her that the back of her car had been damaged. When she got out of the car to talk to one of the men, the second opened her passenger door and took something from her car, witnesses told police.

Bebino and Balan are accused of fleeing in a Honda Odyssey with New Jersey license plates that later showed up as "fictitious," according to a news release. The woman told police that the pair stole wallets from her purse that had credit cards and cash in them. Police say surveillance footage showed the Honda driver throwing the woman's wallets in a dumpster nearby.

Shortly after the burglary, Bebino and Balan were approached by police in the mall parking lot. One man is accused of trying to flee on foot, but both were taken into custody around 2:30 p..m. without further incident.

Bebino and Balan are accused of trying to use the woman's card to buy a MacBook M4 Pro computer and two iPhone 16 Pro Max phone, but the purchase was declined.

"The allegations that these two men conspired to distract a senior citizen and steal her wallet from inside her car are appalling," Elmhurst Police Chief Michael McLean said in a statement. "Seniors should feel safe when out shopping and I wish to thank the two witnesses that saw this suspicious activity and recorded the suspect’s description and license plate."

Patch Editor David Giuliani contributed reporting.