Anti-wrinkle cream among items as ‘career shoplifter,’ 86, arrested for 61st time

Bond set at $10,000, prosecutors recommend she be placed on an electronic monitoring device

Bond was set at $10,000 Monday for an 86-year-old woman who notched her 61st arrest for shoplifting over the weekend for allegedly taking several items -- including anti-wrinkle cream -- from a North Side grocery.

While setting the bond, Associate Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesel also recommended to the Cook County Sheriff's office that Ella Orko, 86, of an unknown address in Chicago, be placed on an electronic monitoring device, according to Cook County State's Attorney's office spokeswoman Tandra Simonton.

Ella Orko, 86, was arrested for the 61st time for shoplifting after she allegedly took several items, including anti-wrinkle cream, from a North Side Dominick's Finer Foods.

Orko was charged with felony shoplifting, according to a Belmont District police lieutenant, who said she was arrested at 3 p.m. Sunday at Dominick's Finer Foods in the 2500 block of North Clyborn Avenue.

Orko allegedly took five packs of salmon, 11 packs of AA batteries, two packs of L’Oreal RevitaLift anti-wrinkle cream, eight boxed jars of Olay face cream and four jars of instant coffee, according to the lieutenant.

She was arrested when someone from the store allegedly saw her take the items, which have a total value of $252.26, and place them in her clothing before attempting to exit the store without paying, according to a police report.

Orko, who has been arrested 61 times including Sunday, was arrested for the first time in 1956 in Chicago for petty larceny and again in 1958 for grand larceny, according to the lieutenant.

“She’s a career shoplifter,’’ the lieutenant said.

Police said she has 13 convictions shoplifting, but Simonton, citing court records, could confirm only five, four in Illinois and one in Wisconsin. She said Okro's last conviction -- for retail theft in 2006 -- resulted in prison time before she was paroled in 2007.

Orko's next scheduled court appearance is Monday, Aug. 10, in North Felony Court (Br. 42) at 2452 W. Belmont Ave.

UPDATED STORY

86-year-old shoplifter: 'She's an actress'

2-day sentence: Some skeptical of wheelchair, judge doubts she has hearing problem

Ella Orko wore a neck brace as she sat in a wheelchair Monday and clutched her purse -- as though she were afraid someone might pinch it.

The 86-year-old woman could easily have been mistaken for a crime victim waiting to testify, as she sat in court at Belmont and Western.

 

Ella Orko wore a neck brace and sat in a wheelchair during court on Monday. The presiding judge raised questions if the woman -- who police say has been arrested 61 times -- was really hard of hearing.
(Brian Jackson/Sun-Times)

But there was little sympathy for Orko, who police say has been arrested 61 times, including on Aug. 2, when she was caught trying to shoplift anti-wrinkle cream, packets of salmon, coffee and batteries from the Dominick's store at Fullerton and Clybourn. Police say Orko has used at least 50 aliases during a life of petty crime.

At court Monday, skeptical workers questioned whether she really needed the wheelchair and neck brace -- she was using neither when arrested last week. And the judge even doubted whether she was really hard of hearing.

"I've been doing this for a lot of years," Judge Marvin P. Luckman said after the hearing. "She's an actress."

Orko was originally charged with a felony, but prosecutors agreed to reduce the charge to a misdemeanor in exchange for her guilty plea. Luckman then sentenced her to two days in jail, time she's already served.

"We felt this was the appropriate disposition, after consulting with the victim . . . and also based on the fact that all of the merchandise was returned," said Andy Conklin, a spokesman for the Cook County state's attorney.

While in Luckman's courtroom, Orko claimed to be too deaf to hear the judge, even though he was shouting.

"I can't hear too good," she mumbled.

Luckman asked a man in the back row if he could hear, and the man replied, "Every word."

"I don't know if she's playing a game or if she's serious," said Luckman, who wears two hearing aids.

All the same, Luckman agreed to step down from his bench and stand directly in front of Orko as he took her guilty plea.

"Do . . . you . . . have . . . any . . . questions?!" Luckman bellowed, enunciating every word.

"No," Orko said, adding, "Very seldom would some judge [step off the bench]. Thank you so much."

As Orko, who lives in the city but was born in Poland, was wheeled away from the courthouse, she waved off a reporter wanting to chat.

"You've done enough damage," she said.