15th identity theft suspect arrested at Deer Park Apple store

A New York man is the 15th person to be charged in an ongoing investigation into fraudulent purchases at a north suburban Deer Park Apple store.

Officers were called to the Deer Park Apple store at 7:45 p.m. Thursday when 19-year-old Jose E. Baez-Polanco tried to use someone else’s identity to open a credit account and buy a new iPhone, according to the Lake County sheriff’s office.

Baez-Polanco, who lives in New York City, was charged with felony counts of burglary, identity theft and retail theft, the sheriff’s office said. He is being held at the Lake County Jail on a $100,000 bond and his next court date was scheduled for March 14.

Baez-Polanco’s arrest was the latest in an ongoing investigation into high-value thefts through deceptive means at the Deer Park Apple store. The sheriff’s office made 14 other arrests in 2016 and 2017. All of the suspects — except a man from San Francisco — are from New York or Michigan.

The sheriff’s office continues to provide increased patrols at the store.