Chicago Man Stole Baseball Caps & Clothes From Orland Mall to Pay For Mom's Tombstone & Sesame St Birthday Party: Cops

A Chicago man caught stealing baseball caps and clothes from the Express in the Orland mall explained that he was just trying to raise money to buy his dead mother a tombstone and to pay for a "Sesame Street-themed birthday party," police said.

The cops were apparently unimpressed by this excuse and hit 27-year-old Brandon Phipps of 543 N. Leamington Ave. with a felony retail theft charge.

Phipps' alleged accomplice, Tarkeye Tolbert, 38, of 1450 N. Sedgwick St. in Chicago, was also charged with felony retail theft.

Phipps stuffed three baseball caps, four pairs of men's jeans and four men's knit shirts into a white plastic bag and Tolbert carried it out of the store without paying for any of it, police said. The total haul was reportedly worth $559.40.

The pair spoke to the police after they were pinched.

"Brandon stated he is out of work and needed the money for his mother's headstone who had just passed away and a Sesame Street-themed birthday party," police said. "Brandon said this was the safest way he knew how to get money."

Tolbert told the cops "she is longtime friends with Brandon Phipps and went with him to help him out," police said.

Tolbert reportedly pointed out to police that she and Phipps "didn't hurt anyone, they were sorry, they just needed money."

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