Chicago man charged in Gurnee jewelry store merchandise theft

A 43-year-old Chicago man has been charged with stealing about $50,000 worth of diamonds from a Gurnee jewelry store on Dec. 30, Gurnee police said Friday.

Demond D. Reid was charged with theft of over $10,000, a class 2 felony, according to a news release police issued Friday afternoon.

Officers responded to a jewelry store in the 6500 block of Grand Avenue after a man asked a store employee to see a piece of jewelry from a display and ran out of the store with it. The man didn't threaten any employees and didn't seem to have a weapon, police said.

Officers identified Reid as a suspect through social media and with help from the community, police said. On Dec. 30, police posted surveillance photos of the robber on their Facebook page. The post had been shared 858 times as of early Friday evening.

"This case is a great example of how our officers and community members can create great partnerships to solve crime," Police Chief Brian Smith said. "The connections and interactions we made with citizens through social media have allowed us to utilize this resource and promote the safety of the entire community."

Gurnee detectives worked with several agencies in Chicago to locate Reid, who on Thursday was taken into custody by the Cook County sheriff's office and transported to the Gurnee Police Department.

A Lake County judge on Friday set Reid's bail at $75,000, which means he must post $7,500 to leave jail. He is due in court Jan. 30.