4 Accused of Stealing Over $1,200 in Items from Best Buy

A group of people face felony and misdemeanor retail theft charges after allegedly stealing electronics from the store in Orland Park using a foil-lined purse. They're also accused of stealing from Best Buy locations in Chicago.

Four people are accused of stealing electronics from Best Buy stores in Orland Park and Chicago. Prosecutors have authorized one count of felony retail theft and one court of misdemeanor retail theft for Sharon D. Bragg, 49, of the 6200 block of Macon Street in Decatur, IL; Lamar F. Carter, 44, of the 600 block of Hamlin Avenue in Chicago; and Belinda Williams, 54, of the 4300 block of Le Moyne Street in Chicago, according to Orland Park police. A fourth person, Johnny O. Patrick, 55, of the 1100 block of Hannah Avenue in Forest Park, was charged with misdemeanor retail theft. The four allegedly took electronics and used an aluminum foil-lined purse on Feb. 17 from Best Buy, 15854 S. La Grange Rd., according to police. Two of the charged, …

•  8 Comments
• Photos (4)

'The Ellen Show' Delights with Southland Surprise

'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' popped into the Best Buy in Orland Park on Thanksgiving, surprising one lucky family from the South Side with a shopping spree and thousands of dollars in Best Buy goodies—and handing out $50,000 in gift cards to others.

They came in hordes and formed a line thousands long—the length of a strip mall, out around the corner, and north along LaGrange Road. Amidst Black Friday excitement and rumors of a cameo by Ellen DeGeneres, eager shoppers and fans flocked to Best Buy in Orland Park on Thanksgiving, hoping to snag a prized purchase, and a glimpse of the talk show host.  Though DeGeneres did not appear and most might have been disappointed, one lucky family's day got a lot brighter.  A South Side family chosen from millions of contest entrants was treated to a Best Buy shopping spree and thousands of dollars in giftcards, courtesy of The Ellen Show. Members of the show's production staff were mum on how they chose the winning family, whose name is being …

•  8 Comments
• Photos (4)

Early Black Friday Deals Start Today in Tinley, Orland and Oak Forest

Best Buy and Target will match prices of online retailers beginning Nov. 1. Do you have your holiday shopping list ready?

So, you just can't wait to get your Christmas 2012 gift-shopping groove on? You don't have to wait until Black Friday to get some great online deals. Best Buy's announcement that it will allow in-store customers to price-match online retailers by showing the price on their smartphones has been matched by Target and Super Target, according to BFAds.net, a website devoted to Black Friday and gift-shopping alerts. Among other online retailers, the stores will match prices of Amazon.com, Walmart.com,Toysrus.com and Babiesrus.com. Best Buy's price-matching begins Sunday, Nov. 4, while Target's begins Thursday, Nov. 1. Leave reviews and comments in the business listings for these stores. You can do the same for other shops and services in the …

• Photos (1)

Best Buys Will Be Closed

What about ours? There are six Best Buy stores in the south suburbs, but a list of closures isn't known yet.

Best Buy executives may be giving up on some of their big-box stores, according to a Wall St. Journal report on Thursday. The Minnesota-based electronics chain said it would close 50 Best Buy stores. At this time, however, the list of stores to close isn't known. Southland Best Buy outlets are in Tinley Park, Orland Park, Homewood, Matteson, Crestwood and Burbank, and there's a mobile shop in the Chicago Ridge Mall, according to the Best Buy store locator. "I am not satisfied with the pace or degree of change we have made up to this point," Chief Executive Brian Dunn said in a conference call with analysts, adding, "We are evolving our retail store strategy. We are increasing our points of presence while decreasing our overall square …

•  16 Comments
• Photos (1)

What Was Your Best Black Friday Find?

TVs, diamonds, cookware, game systems and computer printers — what were some of the best deals found Friday in Southland stores?

Friday was all about the bargain. Several folks told Patch about their best finds on Friday. Tell us about yours in the comment section. FOUND AT TARGET, OAK LAWN Gina Roach and her mother, Sharon Valente, both of Beverly, caught a few good deals early Friday at Target in Oak Lawn. Their finds included a Fisher-Price laptop for $22.99 and a 9-inch LCD TV for $55, down from $120. "I'm tingling," Valente confessed with a laugh. FOUND AT BEST BUY, HOMEWOOD Mrs. Thomas (who declined to share her first name), of Chicago, visited Best Buy in Homewood to find the last Kinect bundle for $199. The bundle included the gaming system, a controller, a charger and two batteries. Thomas hovered over her merchandise protectively until a salesperson …

• Photos (5)

Frugal Family

Deals on Tacos, Computers and Ice Cream: Frugal Family

A short list of great deals in the area for the money-conscious family.

We’re back with a few new ways to save money. Remember, you are a big part of this column. Let us hear about the deals you've seen. Just add them to our comment box. This week, we scoured our local sources to come up with great deals on ice cream, electronics, and pizza. Remember to check with the merchant for additional conditions: BASKIN-ROBBINS Treat a friend to some tasty ice cream and get one free. Deal: Buy one cone, get one free.  Print your coupon here. Good through: March 5, 2011 BEST BUY Free up some desk space by swapping out your desktop for this space-saving laptop. Deal: $349 – Get a Gateway laptop with a AMD C-series processor, 15.6-inch display, 3GB memory, and 320GB hard drive. Good through: February 19, 2011 BEGGARS PIZZA…

• Photos (1)