Riverwoods charges three with burglary

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Updated: February 22, 2012 12:14PM

Riverwoods police have charged three people with felony burglary, alleging they took wallets from patrons at Panera Bread and later used stolen credit cards at local businesses.

Wallets were removed from customer’s purses Jan. 28 and Feb. 2 while people were eating at 2001 Milwaukee Ave., police said.

The credit cards that were in the wallets were later allegedly used at area businesses, Riverwoods Police Chief Bruce Dayno said.

On Tuesday, police charged Michelle L. Johnson, 27, of 6308 S. Maplewood St., Chicago, with two counts of felony burglary and two counts of felony using forged credit/debit cards, Dayno said.

Rickey Anderson, 45, of 9132 S. Blackstone, Chicago, was charged with two counts of felony burglary, two counts of felony using forged credit/debit cards.

And Marva D. Karikari, 40, of 8421 Captons Lane, Darien, was charged with two counts of felony burglary, two counts of felony using forged credit/debit cards and possession of marijuana, Dayno added.

All three were taken to Lake County Jail to await their bond hearings.

Panera employees contacted the Riverwoods police after recognizing people in the restaurant who they thought could have been involved with the crimes, Dayno said.

The employees described one of the suspects’ car, which was stopped by Vernon Hills police officers just minutes after the information was broadcast, he added.

All three were transported to the Riverwoods Police Station, where they were questioned by detectives from Riverwoods, as well as Libertyville, where similar crimes have allegedly been committed.

(An earlier version of this story misspelled Police Chief Bruce Dayno’s last name.)