Jewel-Osco Thief Drags Security Guard With Car
JOLIET, IL April 18 2022 — A 51-year-old Joliet man remains in the Will County Jail with a $450,000 bail after Joliet police say Gregory Backstrom injured a Jewel-Osco security guard, dragging the man with his car as the shoplifter tried speeding off from the store, Joliet police said.
Thursday’s crime happened around 4:15 p.m. at 1401 W. Jefferson St.
Joliet police captured Backstrom, who lives in the 400 block of Herkimer Street. He was charged with two counts of aggravated battery, retail theft and obstruction of identification.
“Backstrom was observed by store employees carrying multiple bottles of laundry detergent out of the store without paying,” Joliet police spokesman Dwayne English announced. “A Jewel loss prevention officer confronted Backstrom as he entered the driver’s seat of a vehicle that was parked in the fire lane.”
When the security guard tried to grab the Jewel-Osco shoplifter, Backstrom began to drive away, dragging the loss prevention officer, police reports show.
Backstrom did not get far. He never left the Jewel-Osco parking lot.
“Backstrom’s vehicle stopped after he struck an unoccupied parked vehicle in the parking lot.,” English announced. “Backstrom exited his vehicle and began waving a kitchen knife at the loss prevention officer.”
Despite being cut on the finger, the security guard managed to keep Backstrom detained until Joliet police cars arrived.
In the Jewel-Osco parking lot, Backstrom tried to give Joliet police a false name, however, his identity was confirmed, and he was placed into custody, police reports show.
