A trove of loot — from dozens of designer suits and antique china to framed prints of Pope John Paul II — was found in the home of two of the people accused in last weekend's high-end watch heist at a Rush Street jewelry store, Chicago police say.
Police say they did not find the stolen watches in the North Rutherford home, but they did stumble across many more items they believe were stolen. Now, they are trying to find those goods' owners.
Among those goods were 29 framed paintings, 18 candle holders, five complete sets of antique china, nearly 60 men's designer suits, a large box of bootleg DVDs, musical instruments, flatscreen televisions and several framed prints of Pope John Paul II.
Four people were arrested and charged this week after police say they stole more than $400,000 worth of merchandise from a display cabinet at B. Young & Company before fleeing in a minivan. Exclusive video obtained by NBC 5 shows a man prying open the case and another man grabbing seven watches.
Police say the items they found in the suspects' home were stolen from both businesses and residential homes. Some retailers, including Armani and Neiman Marcus on the Magnificent Mile, have already identified items stolen from their stores.
Chicago police are encouraging victims of burglaries in the Near North Side 18th district to visit the station at 1160 N. Larrabee this week to claim any stolen items. You must bring proof of purchase.
The items will be on display Friday from 4-7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Anna Straus, 35, of the 3400 block of North Rutherford; Glowacka Xagniezska, 36, of the 3400 block of North Rutherford; Damian Duitlow, 41, of the 4200 block of West Wrightwood; and Ian Kowolski, 50, of an unknown home address, were identified as suspects in Saturday's burglary at B. Young & Company. The group was charged with one felony count each of burglary and theft of items valued between $100,000 and $500,000.
The suspects' defense attorney says his clients, some of whom have been deported multiple times, identify themselves as Roma, an ethnic group whose members are concentrated in eastern Europe.
The group was nabbed with help from a special Illinois State Police unit investigating Roma-associated crimes called the Ruse Burglary Task Force. Police say the group is part of an Eastern European burglary ring.
"It appears that this crew was active here in Chicago and across the Midwest, and may have also been invovled in other major thefts and burglaries across the country," police Cmdr. Eugene Roy said.
