Oak Brook auto-theft sting at mall snares Chicago man

An undercover operation aimed at reducing vehicle theft at Oakbrook Center mall resulted in a Chicago man being arrested Friday on charges of possession of a stolen vehicle and burglary.

Shelby Hurd, 30, is being held in the DuPage County jail on $100,000 bond after a bond hearing Saturday morning.

"With more than 75,000 visitors a day, the Oak Brook mall is one of the largest malls in the country," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a news release. "As such, it offers a prime opportunity for would-be car thieves. The charges filed today however, send the message that in DuPage County we will take whatever measures necessary, as demonstrated by this sting operation, to ensure that visitors can enjoy any of DuPage County's stores, restaurants or other public facilities secure in the knowledge that their car will be waiting for them when they return."

According to the release, Oak Brook police set a bait vehicle in the parking lot and watched it.

A Jeep entered the parking lot around 2:12 p.m., and parked a few rows away. A man then walked toward the bait vehicle, entered it and rummaged through shopping bags.

An undercover police car pulled behind and an officer drew his weapon as Hurd left the vehicle. Hurd ran off but was stopped shortly.

Police say they found stolen license plates in the Jeep.

Hurd, who lives in the 6100 block of South Francisco Avenue, is due to appear in court again May 20.

"The Oak Brook Police Department is making a very strong response to the increasing threat of auto theft and burglary," Oak Brook Police Chief James Kruger said in the release.