Nov. 18--Two people have been arrested in connection with the theft of a $700 custom-made bike and tip money from a Wicker Park pizzeria last weekend by a band of young people dubbed the "Stroller Gang" who were caught on video, police said.
An adult has been charged in connection with the theft of the tip-jar money, and a juvenile has been charged in connection with the theft of the bike, according to police. Gwenel McKeebey, 18, of the 1400 block of North Talman Avenue, was cited for misdemeanor theft. A boy, whose age was not available, was charged with felony theft.
About noon Nov. 8, a group of five young people, one of whom was pushing a toddler in a stroller, ordered pizza at Craft Pizza, 1252 N. Damen Ave.
While the cashier was turned, a young woman with the group snatched some money out of a tip jar, tucked it in a menu and stashed it in the toddler's stroller.
After leaving the restaurant, the group spotted a bike behind the building, and one of the boys scaled a locked fence to steal it. Both thefts were caught on security camera footage that was later posted on YouTube.
"At the end of the day, it's kids. But that young, and to be committing crimes that brazen and that bold and, you know, senseless," Craft Pizza owner Scott Toth told WGN-TV.
Aaron Johnson, the cook at the restaurant, owned the bike that was stolen.
"I'm just amazed that they would do it in the middle of the day with cameras outside the restaurant. It just blows me away," Johnson said.
The bike was sold to someone who later saw the video and turned it in to police last week, according to Shakespeare District police.
