Oak Brook Leggings Theft Suspect Leads Cops On Chase: Police

OAK BROOK, IL – A woman who stole more than $300 worth of leggings from an Oak Brook store led officers on a high-speed chase over the weekend, police said.

Cartara Johnson, 21, of Chicago, was arrested on felony counts of burglary, retail theft, and aggravated fleeing and eluding an officer, according to a news release from DuPage County prosecutors.

On Saturday afternoon, officers at Oakbrook Center mall saw Johnson, who was driving a Hyundai Elantra with expired license plates, enter the mall parking lot, police said. She walked into the mall with an empty or nearly empty Lululemon branded bag.

At Lululemon, she stole the leggings and put them in the bag, which now appeared full, police said. She returned to the car with the same bag about 15 minutes later.

Officers activated their lights and followed Johnson onto Interstate 88, but she refused to stop, police said. She sped up to 116 mph, drove on the shoulder several times, and swerved in and out of heavy traffic before officers ended the pursuit, police said.

Shortly after, officers tracked the Hyundai to North Riverside. Johnson drove onto a lawn and fled, police said.

Stickney police then found her car near Central Avenue and Interstate 55 after she crashed into construction equipment, according to the news release. She ran away, but was caught.

"It is alleged that Ms. Johnson, a woman currently on probation for retail theft, helped herself to merchandise from the Lululemon store and simply walked out the door without paying," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in the release. "To make matters worse, it is further alleged that she then led police on a dangerous, 116-mph chase in the middle of the afternoon on a busy shopping day in an effort to avoid apprehension. This type of blatant disregard for public safety and the rule of law will not be tolerated in DuPage County."

A DuPage County judge ordered the woman jailed until her trial.