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EVANSTON, Ill. - A Chicago man has been charged in connection with a series of organized pickpocketing thefts that targeted elderly shoppers at grocery stores over several months in Evanston.
What we know:
Jerome T. Quick, 61, was arrested Feb. 5 after a seven-month investigation into thefts in which wallets were stolen and credit cards were immediately used for fraudulent purchases.
Police said the crimes primarily occurred at grocery stores in Evanston, followed by unauthorized gift card purchases or cash withdrawals at nearby retailers.
Investigators identified a consistent pattern across multiple incidents, including similar suspect descriptions, vehicle usage and transaction behavior. Surveillance video repeatedly captured a 2018 Nissan Versa linked to Quick near the locations of both the thefts and the subsequent credit card use, police said.
Authorities said the thefts occurred at multiple locations in Evanston and neighboring jurisdictions, underscoring the organized nature of the activity. Because of the ongoing risk to residents, police issued a community alert in early January.
Quick was taken into custody on Feb. 5 with assistance from the department’s Special Operations Group.
Quick was charged with seven felony counts of aggravated identity theft and one felony count of theft from a person. He remains charged pending court proceedings and is scheduled to appear March 19 at the Skokie Courthouse.
What's next:
Quick's next court appearance is scheduled for March 19.
The Source: The information in this report came from the Evanston Police Department.