Elmhurst Store Targeted By Organized Theft Suspects: Cops

ELMHURST, IL – Two suspects are accused of scamming an Elmhurst store out of $1,600 in merchandise, then returning the items for cash at another store in the chain, local police said.

The suspects were identified as Veronica K. Jones, 27, and Germaine E. Sanders, 32, both of Spring, Texas. They face felony theft charges.

On Sept. 9, they scammed a cashier with a nonfunctioning payment card at the At Home Store, 265 S. Route 83, police said. Some of the items were later returned to another store, police said.

At Home's security staff alleged the suspects committed similar thefts at stores in Indiana and Michigan in recent days. Police referred to the case as an organized retail crime investigation.

Police identified the rental car that the suspects were driving.

Late Thursday night, license plate cameras alerted officers that the car had returned to Elmhurst. An officer stopped the vehicle near Interstate 290 and Lake Street. Many At Home items were seen inside the car, police said.

Jones and Sanders were wanted on out-of-state theft warrants, but they are not subject to extradition.

They were taken to the DuPage County Jail, but have been released.