Charges have been announced against four suspects after police say they participated in smash-and-grab burglaries at vape shops in Grayslake, Mundelein and Fox Lake.
The Grayslake Police Department responded around 4:55 a.m. on July 31 to Wise Guy Vapes, 1227 North Route 83 in Grayslake, for a burglary.
Grayslake Police Chief Jeff Myhra said that officers spotted the suspect vehicle involved, a white Cadillac, but it fled from them at a high rate of speed.
Around 20 minutes later, Mundelein police officers responded to Blue Dream Vape & Tobacco, 621 North Lake Street in Mundelein, for a burglar alarm.
Mundelein Police Department Commander of Investigations Rick Wilfenger said that officers arrived to find the store’s glass door broken and evidence that a burglary occurred.
Vape products were stolen, Wilfenger said.
Mundelein police officers did not locate the suspects at the scene and learned of the Grayslake burglary that occurred just prior.
A Mundelein police officer quickly went to another vape shop in town – Vape N Juice located at 1500 South Lake Street – and saw a white sedan with no license plates fleeing from the business.
Officers learned that the suspects attempted to gain entry into the store through a glass door, but were unsuccessful, Wilfenger said.
The sedan fled at a high rate of speed southbound on Route 83 towards the Long Grove area.
Wilfenger said the burglary at Blue Dream Vape & Tobacco was the second time the business was burglarized, with the first incident occurring on June 17.
Offenders also forced entry to the closed business by breaking the glass door and taking merchandise in that case.
The Fox Lake Police Department responded around 8:15 a.m. on July 31 to Lucy’s Hydroponics, 7 South Route 12 in Fox Lake for a report of a broken front glass door.
Fox Lake Police Sergeant Rick Howell said officers determined that the business had been burglarized and multiple items of merchandise as well as the cash register were stolen. Security footage was obtained.
It was determined that the burglary occurred at 4:30 a.m. and the offenders fled in a white Cadillac sedan with no registration plates, Howell said.
An extensive investigation was conducted involving multiple local police departments and the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Arrest warrants were obtained in the June 17 burglary for Aiden-Coburn-Dishler, 20, of Wheaton, and JaJuan Barnes, 19, of Dolton, charging them with burglary.
Coburn-Dishler is in the custody of the DuPage County Jail for an unrelated arrest by the Oak Brook Police Department. Barnes is currently still at large.
Arrest warrants for the July 31 burglaries in Mundelein were obtained for Coburn-Dishler; Thomas Johnson, 23, of Glendale Heights; and Dave Guzman, 18, of Bloomingdale, charging them with burglary.
The three were also charged with burglaries at vape stores that occurred the same day in Grayslake and Fox Lake.
Howell said cell phone location data placed the offenders at the location of the Fox Lake burglary.
Johnson was arrested on Thursday by the Glendale Heights Police Department and is expected to soon appear in Lake County court. Guzman remains at large.
“The Mundelein Police Department would like to thank the Lake County States Attorney’s Office, the Oak Brook, Fox Lake, Grayslake, West Chicago, Glendale Heights Police Departments and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in this joint investigation,” Wilfenger said.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the two remaining suspects at large is asked to contact their local police department.