Chicago man charged with theft after $1 million in suspected stolen shoes found in warehouse

A 26-year-old man, Erick Lujano Bautista, has been charged with theft after authorities found a warehouse in Chicago containing $1 million worth of suspected stolen shoes. The warehouse was located on the West Side. Investigators discovered the shoes, primarily Nike and New Balance, during a January investigation. Bautista was allegedly subleasing the warehouse and was not an authorized seller of the shoes. This incident adds to a significant recovery of stolen goods, bringing the total to over $4.5 million in the last nine months. Bautista has been released from custody pending trial.