Woman facing 36 felony charges after string of wallet thefts in Orland Park

A Chicago woman was indicted on 36 felony counts last month after she allegedly stole wallets from unwitting shoppers at stores in southwest suburban Orland Park.

In October, officers began investigating a series wallets being stolen from purses that were left unattended in shopping carts at several different stores, according to Orland Park police. The thefts primarily happened when victims were walking through a store, out of view of surveillance cameras.

Cash and credit stolen from the purses were later used at different businesses in the Chicago area, police said.

In January, officers identified 34-year-old Temika J. Norris as a suspect, police said. She was taken into custody Jan. 24 near her Washington Heights neighborhood home and initially charged with two counts of identity theft.

On Feb. 15, Norris was charged with six counts of continuing a financial criminal enterprise, four counts of identity theft, two counts of forgery, six counts of use of account number in attempt to defraud, a single count of aggravate identity theft, nine counts of use of account number in attempt to defraud, three counts of theft and five counts of unlawful possession of a credit card, police said.

Norris is being held without bond at Cook County Jail awaiting an April 4 court date, according to the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.