Chicago Warehouse Raid Uncovers $1M in Stolen Shoes

Erick Lujano Bautista, 26, has been charged with felony theft after police discovered approximately $1 million worth of suspected stolen Nike and New Balance shoes in a warehouse on Chicago's West Side. The Cook County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant at the warehouse Bautista was subleasing, uncovering over 20,000 pairs of Nike shoes and 1,700 pairs of New Balance shoes. Bautista, who was not an authorized seller of these brands, was arrested and released pending trial. This recovery adds to the $4.5 million worth of stolen merchandise retrieved by the Cook County Sheriff's Organized Retail Crime Unit in the past nine months. Both Nike and New Balance are collaborating with investigators to verify the status of the remaining merchandise. Sheriff Tom Dart emphasized that such crimes contribute to broader retail challenges, including store closures and reduced business investments.