Police Nab Suspect in Shoplifting, High-Speed Escape

A Bartlett woman gave her driver’s license number to a clerk when redeeming a store credit coupon during an April 10 shoplifting theft that sparked a wild, high-speed escape and led to her arrest Tuesday, May 14, 2013 by St. Charles police.

Tarsha T. Davis, 40, of the 100 block of Elizabeth Court, Bartlett, was charged at 7:09 p.m. at the , with retail theft, aggravated fleeing and eluding, three counts of disobeying traffic-control signals, two counts of improper lane use, improper passing on the right, speeding more that 40 mph over the limit, fleeing and eluding police, and reckless driving.

She was released on $3,000 cash bond pending a May 31 court appearance in Room 211 of the .

St. Charles police say the story began at 12:05 p.m. April 10, 2013, when officers responded to a report of a retail theft in progress at .  Police arrived on the scene as the suspect was leaving.

Store employees pointed to the suspect who was seen getting into a silver Nissan in the parking lot, and officers tried to stop her vehicle with their emergency lights and sirens activated. But instead of stopping, police said the woman sped out of the parking lot and westbound on Main Street, then turned north on Kirk Road, driving through red traffic signals in the process. Police used radar to clock the fleeing vehicle at 90 mph in a 45 mph zone.

A police supervisor terminated the chase.

An investigation determined that the shoplifter at Kohl's took $233.97 in perfume and clothing. Police also obtained a partial license plate number of the fleeing vehicle, and said the shoplifter had given her driver's license number to a store clerk when she purchased an item with a store credit coupon.

Police used a photo lineup to identify the suspect as Davis. They obtained a warrant on May 1, 2013, with bail set at $30,000. Davis formally was served with the warrant on May 14, 2013 and released on a $3,000 cash bond, with a court date of May 31, 2013 in Room 211 of the Kane County Judicial Center.