Dress shop broken into on Northwest Side as some say their prom designs were withheld

CHICAGO (WLS) -- An investigation is now underway on the city's Northwest Side after Chicago police say there was a break-in at a prom dress shop.

The front door was boarded up Thursday at the dress shop near North Avenue and Pulaski Road in Humboldt Park, after Chicago police say someone broke in Wednesday night and multiple people took items inside.

The owner of Bridal Boys by Complete Bridal in East Dundee is stepping up again to help parents in need of prom dresses for free. This time, his act of kindness involves a prom shop in Chicago that has parents and high schoolers frustrated and police investigating a break-in.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

The break-in happened Wednesday at about 8:40 p.m. in the 1500-block of North Pulaski, Chicago police said.

Angry parents and students showed up to pick up their custom-made prom outfits, but the shop was closed. Now, they're left without anything to wear for prom this weekend.

ABC7 Chicago spoke to one mother, who said she paid thousands of dollars and was left empty-handed.

Leslie Cooper says she's a longtime customer of the designer and was expecting a custom prom dress and suit for her children.

"I don't have a suit. I don't have a dress. My son planned his suit four years ago freshman year," Cooper said. "I'm hurt; I'm devastated. He's hurt. He's devastated. The date, hurt and devastated. He's crying. What can we do? We ain't got money like that."

Each hanger holds up a glamorous piece of fashion that Bridal Boys by Complete Bridal owner David Gaffke hopes could help stitch together an ongoing prom panic that has some students' high school milestone hanging by a thread.

"We're going to provide round-the-clock alterations," Gaffke said. "All they have to do is provide some sort of a receipt in the purchase, and their prom dress is free here."

READ ALSO | City sues park district executive director over prom photo helicopter landing | Video

"The only thing that we could do is provide what we have, so our job is to make a difference in somebody's life," Gaffke said.

Now, that difference is for these upset customers seen in a Facebook video piling up outside a prom dress shop in Chicago's Humboldt Park, Wednesday, demanding their children's prom outfits after the designer suddenly said she couldn't complete remaining orders.

On Thursday morning, dresses and clothing items were seen scattered outside the shop.

ABC7 Chicago has not been able to get in touch with the designer who owns the shop. She did post on Facebook that she was having a mental health crisis and couldn't finish the dresses.

Designer Makeda Evans said in part, "I want to wholeheartedly apologize for the inconvenience and disappointment I have caused regarding your prom dress. I am experiencing a serious mental health crisis and have made the difficult decision to admit myself into the hospital to receive treatment."

In May of 2023, Evans made another Facebook post, saying she was "overbooked and overwhelmed and have suffered from sleep deprivation and exhaustion. As a result 4 young ladies didn't receive their dresses and a few others experienced dilemmas. I take full responsibility."

Some mothers say the designer should be held accountable.

They said they had nothing to do with the break-in.

Tytianna Gray said she wasn't there Wednesday night, but showed up Thursday hoping she could locate her daughter's prom dress.

"She's been crying all night because this is something we look forward to in our family and our community," Gray said.

She said dozens were left without dresses to wear for prom even before the break-in.

Gray said she paid Evans $3,800 to design two dresses, as her daughter attends two proms this year.

She says the day she was supposed to pick up the dresses, the designer was nowhere to be found.

One woman went live on Facebook showing as customers waited outside for their dresses and never got them.

Samyra Westbrooks says she paid the designer nearly $2,500 for her daughter's prom dress. She said the week she was supposed to pick the dress up, the designer went silent.

She said her daughter is heartbroken.

"She started crying, saying that her prom is ruined. She ain't going on prom," Westbrooks said. "It's hard for me because I work really hard to make sure I provide for my children. I'm a business owner; so customer service and professionalism is very important to me. And to be able to patronize with a sister and then get treated like this, it really hurts."

As police continue to investigate the break-in, mothers say they hope the designer gets the help she needs. But they still want their money back.

"I have empathy for the mental health awareness; however we can't be playing with people, especially on their important days. It's not fair; it's not right," Westbrooks said. "I'll be praying for you. I pray that when you do get it together you do right with us and give us our money back and learn to do business the right way."

Antwan Peterson's wife, Des, also sells dresses and had leftovers to spare. So, she dropped off boxes for young girls to take for free Wednesday night to make sure they had something to wear at the last-minute.

"You just wanna help as much as you can; that's what it's about. If you see people in need you're supposed to come together and help," Peterson said.

Chicago police are taking reports in the Humboldt Park break-in.

INTERACTIVE SAFETY TRACKER Track crime and safety in your neighborhood