(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – A judge has ordered pretrial detention for a 27-year-old Chicago woman accused of leading police in the western suburbs on a high-speed chase after she and two accomplices allegedly shoplifted more than $300 in beauty products.
Damonica Stewart, who is charged with burglary, retail theft and aggravated fleeing and eluding, and two other women entered the Ulta store in Oak Brook on Monday afternoon and left with merchandise without paying, prosecutors said.
When an Oak Brook police officer tried to pull over the BMW in which they fled the scene, driver Stewart reached speeds of 70 miles per hour in an attempt to get away, authorities said.
Stewart “drove erratically down 22nd Street weaving in and out of lanes, drove on the median at one point to pass vehicles at a stop light and drove between vehicles waiting at a stop light,” according to a news release.
The BMW she was driving came to a stop after striking two other vehicles, officials said. Police found the stolen Ulta merchandise inside her vehicle, police said.
Stewart’s alleged accomplices – Omesha Hawkins, 28, and Onequa Hawkins, 32, both of Chicago – were charged with burglary and retail theft. They were not held pending trial but were ordered to stay away from Ulta stores.
“Unfortunately, this is a daily occurrence; however, the positive is our officers and the business community continue to improve our tactics and communication,” Oak Brook Deputy Chief of Police Reid Foltyniewicz said in a news release.
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