NORTH CENTER — A woman who allegedly pulled a knife on CVS employees in Avondale after she was caught shoplifting there was later arrested at a drug store in North Center, police sources said.
Rujha Walker, 50, of the 2700 block of North Hoyne Avenue, has been charged with one felony count of armed robbery with a dangerous weapon and another felony count of robbery, said officer Bari Lemmon, a Chicago Police spokesperson.
Around 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 23, Walker was at a store in the 2800 block of North Western Avenue where she took "several items and attempted to conceal the items and leave without paying," Lemmon said.
When Walker was confronted by store employees, she allegedly displayed a knife and fled the store, Lemmon said.
Police sources said the store was a CVS at 2815 N. Western Ave.
Then, around 2:45 p.m. on Dec. 26, Walker was seen back at the Avondale store. Police were called and she fled, Lemmon said.
Later that day, Walker was tracked by officers to a store in North Center, in the 4000 block of North Lincoln Avenue, and arrested, a police source said.
A manager at the CVS at 4051 N. Lincoln Ave. in North Center declined to comment.
A worker at the Avondale CVS confirmed the incidents there and claimed that the woman had been shoplifting at the CVS for years.
The Dec. 23 incident was not the first time Walker had threatened employees, the worker alleged. Previously, Walker had threatened to kill the CVS employee, forcing the worker to run to the back of the store out of fear, the drug store clerk said.
"I'm so glad she is caught," the Avondale CVS worker said.
A CVS spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
Walker is scheduled to appear in bond court Tuesday.
