Purported theft ring busted in Elk Grove Village

A group of six New Yorkers who authorities say came to the suburbs to steal clothes to sell back home appeared in a Rolling Meadows bond court Thursday.

Elk Grove Village police arrested New York residents Olga Castillo, 20, Sydney Celis, 18, Jessica Montero, 20, Oscar Becerra, 20, Nelson Marin, 21, and Robert Riviera, 24, Tuesday at a Motel 6 in the 1600 block of Oakton Street where they were staying in violation of the motel's occupancy limit.

All were charged with retail theft. A Cook County judge set bail for each defendant at $30,000.

A motel employee called police after discovering the defendants and detecting an odor of cannabis, said Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Mark Javiar.

After receiving consent to search the room, police recovered new clothing with the price tags and theft-prevention devices still attached, Javiar said. Recovered items included T-shirts from an Oak Brook Disney store, Javiar said. Together, the recovered items had an estimated value of more than $10,000, Javiar said.

Additionally, police found "booster bags" which Javiar described as shopping bags lined with foil and used to thwart a retail store's security device.

According to authorities, a member of the group admitted to being part of a retail theft ring which stole items here and sold them at a New York store operated by two of the defendants.

None has any criminal background, Javiar said. They next appear in court on June 16.