30-year-old Beatriz Villegas And 10-year-old Daughter Arrested For Retail Theft Of More Than $1,200 At Gurnee Mills In Illinois, Mother Charged

Gurnee police arrested Villegas and her 10-year-old daughter at Gurnee Mills after they left the Zumiez clothing store with merchandise they didn't purchase.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanics News Network U.S.A.

January 15, 2025

Gurnee, Illinois - On December 10, 2024, Gurnee police around 4:00 p.m. were called to the Gurnee Mills Mall at the 6100 block of W. Grand Ave. after three suspects including a 10-year-old girl were seen by store employees hiding merchandise and leaving without paying for it, at Zumiez, a clothing store at the mall. A Zumiez employee followed the shoplifters along with security mall guards, when police arrived at the scene, they were able to identify Beatriz Villegas, 30, and her 10-year-old daughter, both from Chicago.  Police were able to inspect a Home Goods bag the girl was carrying and a same brand bag Villegas was carrying, police recovered stolen merchandise from Zumiez and 4 other stores in mall totaling approximately $1,210. The third female suspect fled the scene and could not be located by police.

The girl told police that her mother had told her to steal merchandise. Villegas also confessed to police of stealing $800 of the merchandise found in their Home Goods bags.

Villegas was charged with felony retail theft and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and released the same day, according to police.

Lake County State Assistant Attorney Mary Vukovich says, that Villegas and her group stole about $574 from Spencer's, $174 from the Lego store, $419 from the Gamesstop, $35 from VBH Toy Kiosk, and an unknown amount from Crocs and the Zumiez stores, totalling approximately $1,210.

The girl was released to a guardian and the Illinois Department of Children and Family were contacted about the theft crimes. 

Villegas appear in court on January 6, 2025 to face charges and was ordered not to have contact with the stores, and is scheduled for a preliminary status court hearing on February 4, according to court records.

If convicted, Villegas is facing from 2 to 5 years in prison for felony retail theft and up to $25,000 in repayment or restitution.