Thieves armed with a sledgehammer smashed their way into the Macy's at Southridge Mall in Greendale in April 2026, making off with jewelry now valued at $448,378 — just one piece of a cross-country burglary spree that investigators say totals nearly $2.5 million in stolen goods across three states. Court records show Greendale police have connected that break-in and a second one at the mall's JCPenney to heists in Madison, Illinois and New York, all allegedly tied to the same suspect.
According to WISN, a search warrant filed in Milwaukee County Circuit Court documented surveillance images of intruders breaking into the Southridge Mall Macy's with a sledgehammer. Investigators say the JCPenney at the same mall was also hit, with stolen jewelry there valued at $146,404. Altogether, the station reports, investigators have counted five burglaries across Wisconsin, Illinois and New York totaling $2,458,678 in stolen jewelry.
Southridge Mall, which opened in 1970 and spans nearly 1.18 million square feet, ranks as Wisconsin's second-largest shopping center, according to Wikipedia. The mall is anchored by Macy's and JCPenney and is currently the subject of a $100 million municipal redevelopment initiative approved in September 2025, making it a high-profile target for the kind of overnight commercial burglary now under investigation.
A Spree Stretching From Madison to Staten Island
Beyond the two Greendale break-ins, the station's report details three more burglaries tied to the same investigation. A JCPenney in Madison lost jewelry valued at $100,000, while Rogers & Hollands, a jewelry chain in Vernon Hills, Illinois, reported a loss of $263,888.92. The costliest single hit, by far, struck a JCPenney in Staten Island, New York, where thieves made off with jewelry valued at $1.5 million.
The Jewelers' Security Alliance flagged an overnight commercial burglary at a Staten Island JCPenney in April 2026 involving $250,000 in stolen fine jewelry. WISN's account of the Staten Island burglary in this investigation gives a $1.5 million loss. Hoodline previously covered a similar JCPenney jewelry theft that the Alliance was tracking around the same time. Rogers & Hollands, meanwhile, is a jewelry chain.
Flock Cameras and Rental Records Led to a Suspect
Per the WISN report, investigators used Flock license plate reader cameras to help identify vehicles used in the crimes, then cross-referenced registered owner and rental information to zero in on a suspect. More than 2,000 Flock Safety cameras operate across Wisconsin, according to Flock Camera Locations in Wisconsin, with heavy concentrations at commercial shopping hubs and major roadway intersections in Milwaukee County suburbs — exactly the kind of coverage that would have captured vehicle movement between burglary sites.
DNA evidence collected at two of the burglary scenes pointed to the same suspect, the search warrant states, and that suspect is reportedly on parole. Under Wisconsin's criminal justice standards, individuals serving active parole terms are required to maintain registered offender DNA profiles in state law enforcement databases, according to Schiro Criminal Defense, which would have allowed investigators to match crime scene evidence against an existing profile. The search warrant named a suspect, but the station's report states it is not identifying that individual, who has not been criminally charged.
Why Jewelry Counters Are a Target Right Now
The spree arrives amid a broader surge in jewelry store burglaries nationwide. U.S. jewelry businesses lost $144.7 million across 1,233 reported crimes in 2025, with on-premises commercial burglaries remaining the single largest loss category for a second consecutive year, according to National Jeweler. Gold prices neared $4,500 an ounce by late 2025.
The alleged spree involves multiple incidents, raising questions about how prosecutors might handle the cases. Hoodline has also covered a separate JCPenney incident in New Hampshire, where a man and woman visited the jewelry counter and left, and police sought help identifying them.
The current investigation involves department store jewelry-counter break-ins in southeastern Wisconsin. Because the current spree crosses state lines between Wisconsin, Illinois and New York, it remains an open question whether federal authorities will get involved. The investigation remains ongoing, and the original report indicates it will be updated as developments emerge.
