Crime & Safety

Authorities Angling for Felony Shoplifting Conviction in St. Charles

Homeless man tried to steal $399.88 in fishing gear and 14 PlayStation 3 games at the St. Charles Walmart, police say.

One might say they caught him — hook, line and sinker.


An apparent would-be angler couldn’t land his catch last week after an anonymous phone call alerted a St. Charles  retailer that a shoplifter was headed its way on a fishing expedition of sorts.


That helped loss-prevention personnel at Walmart, 150 Smith Road, head off the theft of hundreds of dollars of fishing gear and video games, and St. Charles police netted the suspect, a homeless man, on a felony retail theft charge authorized by DuPage County prosecutors.

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Here’s how this fish tale unfolded.


A man identifying himself only as John called Walmart on Tuesday, July 16, 2013, said two individuals who had been stealing items from area Walmarts on a regular basis, and had shown some of their loot to the caller. According to a police report on the incident, John then gave a description of one of the men and what he was wearing and said the man was on his way to the Walmart in St. Charles.

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The store’s loss-prevention officer told police she watched for the thief’s arrival. When a man matching the description arrived, she monitored him as he made his way through the store.


Police identified the man as Donald James Mack, 20, who is described as homeless.


The store loss-prevention officer told police she watched Mack take a tackle box valued at $39.96 and 52 fishing lures valued at $359.92, which he placed in a Walmart shopping bag. She then followed him to the Electronics Department and watched as he took 14 PlayStation 3 games valued at $279.44 and placed them into the same bag.


He then left without paying for the $679.32 in merchandize but was detained at the store until police arrived about 1:38 p.m. to arrest him on a felony charge of retail theft.


Mack was transported to the DuPage County Jail, where he was held pending a court appearance.


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