A Walgreens theft turned chaotic in Hickory Hills on April 23, ending with one woman caught in a backyard and the other pulled from a rideshare, police said.
Mikeya J. Phipps, 23, of Dolton, and Deonna J. Wagner, 23, of Chicago, were charged with retail theft and obstructing a peace officer, police said.
Police said a sergeant was inside the Walgreens at 7945 W. 95th St. to retrieve surveillance video for an unrelated case when the two women allegedly ran out with stolen merchandise.
The sergeant tried to stop them, but they jumped into a car. As he grabbed the door handle, it snapped off in his hand when the driver sped away, Police Chief Adam Gulczynski said.
Nearby officers picked up the pursuit near 78th Avenue and 95th Street. At one point, the fleeing car swerved into oncoming traffic and nearly hit a sergeant head-on, Gulczynski said. The chase was called off for safety reasons.
“They end up parking in somebody’s driveway,” Gulczynski said. “The officer is kind of curious — he knew they went into a dead end, so he knew there was no way for them to come out.”
The women ran through yards, jumping fences and cutting through backyards — one of them filled with chickens, Gulczynski said.
One didn’t make it far.
“One of them jumped the gate and fell flat on her back,” Gulczynski said. “She was underground (on the ground), trying to turn around and still offered resistance.”
As officers continued searching for the second suspect, a resident told police they saw a woman get into a silver car nearby.
Officers pulled over the vehicle, which turned out to be a rideshare. The driver was cooperative and unaware of the situation, Gulczynski said. The woman in the passenger seat matched the suspect’s description and was taken into custody.
Among the items allegedly stolen: several bottles of tequila and packs of breathing strips valued at several hundred dollars.
“This happens a lot — people steal from Walgreens or CVS and resell it to corner stores,” Gulczynski said, noting that it’s part of a broader pattern of organized retail theft in the region.
Gulczynski said he was appreciative of the new Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office renewed efforts to prosecute these crimes.
Police said the case fits a growing trend of quick-hit retail thefts — this one ending with fence jumping, foot chases and a yard full of chickens.