Mag Mile burglar stole pricey accessories because people weren’t giving him money for panhandling

Austin Kent | CPD

A North Carolina man broke into a Magnificent Mile boutique and stole high-end merchandise Sunday because people weren’t giving him money for panhandling, according to prosecutors.

Austin Kent, 18, admitted to throwing a brick through a display window and taking a belt, backpack, and shoes from MCM, 540 North Michigan, police said.  The stolen merchandise was reportedly worth $1,785.

A passer-by posted video of the scene to Snapchat:

Snapchat video of the scene.

Witnesses told police that a group of people boarded a CTA bus after stealing property from the store window around 9 p.m. Cops stopped the bus on the 300 block of North State a few minutes later.

Inside the bus, police recovered the backpack, belt, shoes, eight purses, and other merchandise from the store. Additional suspects were detained on the bus, but witnesses were only able to identify Kent.

He later told police that he was experiencing homelessness and people weren’t giving him enough money when he asked for handouts on the street, according to court records.

Judge Mary Marubio released Kent on a recognizance bond.

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About Tim Hecke 5785 Articles
Tim Hecke is CWBChicago's managing partner. He started his career at KMOX, the legendary news radio station in St. Louis. From there, he moved on to work at stations in Minneapolis, Chicago, and New York City. Tim went on to build syndicated radio news and content services that served every one of America's 100 largest radio markets. He became CWBChicago's managing partner in 2019. He can be reached at tim@cwbchicago.com