March 02--A Chicago man has been arrested as part of an investigation into a series of "crash-and-grab" burglaries over the past few months in which thieves drive through the doors and windows of stores.
Jawon Sellers, 24, of the 10100 block of South LaSalle Street, is charged with burglary in connection with a burglary of a Best Buy in the 2600 block of North Clark Street on Jan. 4. Police say Sellers was among several people who crashed through the window of the store and made off with electronics worth more than $11,000.
Sellers was ordered held on $150,000 bail during a court hearing Sunday.
Sellers was arrested Thursday night in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side. He has three felony convictions and was on parole for a 2013 robbery when he was taken into custody. The other two convictions are a 2013 aggravated battery and a 2008 aggravated robbery,according to Karr.
Asst. State's Atty. Sarah Karr said Sellers and the other uncharged co-offenders used a stolen minivan to crash into the Best Buy at 2650 N. Clark St. at 4:50 a.m. that morning.
They took computers and tablets before fleeing in another vehicle, Karr said.
Cook County public defender Jack Phalen said Sellers is a lifelong resident of Cook County and lives with his girlfriend and four children.
A string of "crash-and-grab" robberies has occurred since late last year. Some of them include:
--Burglars barreled into a Southwest Side pawn shop on Dec. 9.
--Early the following day, burglars crashed a van into the Neiman Marcus store on North Michigan Avenue, making off with designer purses and other luxury items.
--The day before Thanksgiving, burglars drove through metal shutters and glass doors of the Cisco Nyc store in the 4000 block of West Madison Street in West Garfield Park. Surveillance video showed nearly two dozen burglars making off with high end shoes, shirts and other expensive clothing.
--Early on Thanksgiving morning in the city's Austin community, burglars crashed a pick-up truck through a concrete wall of the J-Bees Clothing and Footwear store in the 5200 block of West North Avenue.
--In Northbrook, thieves drove through the outside entrance of the Northbrook Court mall and down a corridor before slamming into the Louis Vuitton store about 5 a.m. on Nov. 18.
--Another Louis Vuitton store, at Oakbrook Center mall, was hit in a crash-and-grab burglary Sept. 7 when thieves rammed a minivan into the store, stealing about $120,000 worth of merchandise.
--Aurora police have been investigating a similar style crime that occurred Nov. 4 at Salvatore Ferragamo in the Chicago Premium Outlets mall. A minivan rammed through the front window of the store. Burglars escaped with $40,000 in purses and luggage.
As part of the investigation into the burglaries, Chicago police have been looking into the death of 31-year-old Cleveland Head who was suspected of being part of a "crash-and-grab" crew, according to a source with knowledge of the probe.
Head's body was found on Feb. 13 near train tracks on the South Side, and authorities believe he was burglarizing a train, sources familiar with the case said.
An autopsy showed Head suffered cervical dislocation due to blunt force trauma of the neck and his death was ruled a homicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.
