Two South Side brothers, accused of robbing a Texas man in Wrigleyville last November, were arrested again early Saturday after they allegedly robbed another man on the same block.
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| Marcell Townsend (L) and Zikee Townsend (Chicago Police Dept) |
The story of Marcell Townsend—portrayed in court records and by police sources as a street-level drug dealer who has frequented Wrigleyville’s bar strip for two years—is a blood-boiling tale of Cook County “justice.” (His full county criminal court file is laid out below. Take your blood pressure meds before reading.)
And his younger brother Zikee has been following the same path.
“This Is A Motherf***ing Robbery”
A police report that documents last Saturday’s robbery in the 1100 block of W. Addison says Marcell Townsend, 23, brandished a knife and and reached into a suburban man’s pants pocket to take the victim’s wallet while announcing, “this is a motherf***ing robbery.”
At the same time, Zikee Townsend, 20, displayed the butt of a handgun in his waistband and said, “Let me get your phone,” the report says.
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| Image: Wikimapia |
During a custody search of Marcell, an officer found a plastic bag containing smaller baggies of suspected cocaine and an officer who searched Zikee reported finding three small baggies of suspected heroin, court records say.
As of yesterday morning, Zikee Townsend was charged with armed robbery in Saturday’s incident while Marcell is charged with possession of a controlled substance. Bail for Zikee and Marcell Townsend is set at $10,000 and $20,000 respectively.
Déjà Vu
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| The ATM at Addison and Racine where a tourist was robbed last autum |
Incredibly, the Townsends were arrested less than a block from the Addison CTA station on November 14 after a Texas man told police that they robbed him of $20 and a Visa debit card as he withdrew money from Wrigleyville ATM.
According to a police report filed at the time, officers drove around Wrigleyville with two witnesses in an attempt to find the offenders. As the patrol car approached Wrigley Field, both witnesses saw the Townsends nearby.
“There they are! Those are the guys that robbed that guy,” officers quoted one of the witnesses as saying. The victim later identified the Townsends as the offenders, too, the report said.
Charges of theft were filed against both men, but the charges were dropped because the victim failed to return from Texas for court.
A Frequent Visitor
Despite living 20 miles from Wrigley Field in the 300 block of W. 109th Street, Marcell Townsend has a storied 2-year history of arrests in Wrigleyville, according to Chicago Police Department and courthouse records.
Yet despite all of the arrests and subsequent charges—the full list is published below—Marcell has only been convicted of two crimes: the December 19, 2014, theft of a woman’s phone in the 3700 block of Clark Street and being in possession of a motor vehicle that was (surprise!) reported stolen in Wrigleyville last summer.
Marcell was sentenced to 18 years of court supervision for the phone theft. A few months later, he pleaded guilty to possessing the stolen car and he received—wait for it—two years of probation, despite already being on court supervision for the next 18 years.
Little Bro
Zikee Townsend, who lives in the 4300 block of S. Martin Luther Kind Drive, has also recorded Wrigleyville arrests, but his only conviction from our neighborhood was for “soliciting unlawful business” in December 2014. The charge is commonly used against persons accused of trying to sell drugs on the public way. Zikee received a 5 day sentence and an accompanying charge of pot possession was dropped.
Zikee is currently on probation for possessing a vehicle that had been reported stolen in Harvey, Illinois.
On Sunday, the state filed violation of probation petitions against both Townsends in connection with their arrests here on Saturday. They are due back in court on April 14.
Cook County Criminal Court Filings—Marcell Townsend (Chronological)
| # | Date | Address of Arrest | Charges | Allegation | Disposition |
| HR707894 | 12/27/2009 | 7300 S. Kingston | Cannabis | Not Available | Stricken |
| HS586457 | 10/28/2010 | 7100 S. Jeffrey | Cannabis | Not Available | Stricken |
| HT330518 | 6/4/2011 | 7200 S. Exchange | Cannabis | Not Available | Stricken |
| HV188427 | 3/8/2012 | 69th Street Red Line Platform | Cannabis | Not Available | Stricken |
| HV188427 | 3/8/2012 | 69th Street Red Line Platform | Soliciting on CTA | Not Available | Stricken |
| HV572097 | 11/21/2012 | 1200 S. Independence | Cannabis | Not Available | Dropped by state |
| HV572097 | 11/21/2012 | 1200 S. Independence | Possession of Controlled Substance (2 counts) | Not Available | Dropped by state |
| HW110817 | 1/9/2013 | 100 W. 109th | Cannabis | Not Available | Stricken |
| Not Available | 4/7/2013 | Not Available | Possession of Controlled Substance | Not Available | Dropped by state |
| HW194297 | 3/22/2014 | 3300 N. Clark | Battery | Per the police report, a man told police that Townsend became enraged during a verbal altercation and punched the man in the face. During a custody search, police found a clear baggie containing two smaller bags of suspected cocaine protruding from Townsend’s waistband | Victim did not appear. Stricken |
| HW194297 | 3/22/2014 | 3300 N. Clark | Possession of Controlled Substance | Per the police report, a man told police that Townsend became enraged during a verbal altercation and punched the man in the face. During a custody search, police found a clear baggie containing two smaller bags of suspected cocaine protruding from Townsend’s waistband | Dropped by state |
| HW587475 | 12/29/2013 | 3525 N. Clark | Possession of Controlled Substance (2 counts) | Not Available | Dropped by state |
| HW587475 | 12/29/2013 | 3525 N. Clark | Cannabis | Not Available | Dropped by state |
| HX109544 | 1/10/2014 | 7400 S. Exchange | Cannabis | Not Available | Stricken |
| HX319205 | 6/26/2014 | 3230 N. Wilton | Theft | Per police report: A man flagged down officers near the Belmont Red Line station and said his friend’s phone had just been stolen by a man who fled into a nearby alley. Officers entered the alley and saw Townsend toss an object onto the ground. Townsend was detained and officers determined the object to be the victim’s iPhone. Townsend was positively identified by the victim as the person who snatched her phone from her hand. | Stricken |
| HX435628 | 9/24/2014 | 6259 S. Indiana | Criminal Trespass to Vehicle | Per police report: Townsend ran a stop sign at 6300 S. Prairie. Police ran the plate and found the vehicle had been reported stolen from the 900 block of W. Addison. | Stricken |
| HX548816 | 12/19/2014 | 3702 N. Clark | Possession of Controlled Substance (2 counts) | According to court complaints, Townsend was accused of stealing a woman’s iPhone. Arresting officers found a Ziploc bag containing suspect cocaine and a plastic bag containing smaller bags of suspect marijuana. | Dropped by state |
| HX548816 | 12/19/2014 | 3702 N. Clark | Cannabis | According to court complaints, Townsend was accused of stealing a woman’s iPhone. Arresting officers found a Ziploc bag containing suspect cocaine and a plastic bag containing smaller bags of suspect marijuana. | Stricken |
| HX548816 | 12/19/2014 | 3702 N. Clark | Theft | According to court complaints, Townsend was accused of stealing a woman’s iPhone. Arresting officers found a Ziploc bag containing suspect cocaine and a plastic bag containing smaller bags of suspect marijuana. | Sentenced to 18 years court supervision on January 14, 2015 |
| HY174648 | 3/6/2015 | 3507 N. Clark | Possession of Controlled Substance | Not Available | Dropped by state |
| HY174648 | 3/6/2015 | 3507 N. Clark | Cannabis | Not Available | Stricken |
| HY174648 | 3/6/2015 | 3507 N. Clark | Soliciting An Unlawful Business | Not Available | Thrown out by judge (Non Suited) |
| HY300853 | 6/13/2015 | 1234 N. Halsted | Unlawful Possession of Motor Vehicle | Per police report: Officers at a Mobil station saw Townsend ask the clerk for $10 worth of gas, then exit the store and walk past the vehicle that he bought gas for. Suspicious of his conduct, officers ran the vehicle plate and it came back stolen. Townsend was stopped. He told the officers that a guy named “Ralph” at the Cubby Bear in Wrigleyville gave him the vehicle to use. When officers asked where the vehicle’s keys were, Townsend said “I don’t want no trouble. I threw them behind the fence by the bus stop.” Officers went to that location and found the vehicle’s keys. | Guilty plea. 2 years probation. |
| HY500782 | 11/14/2015 | 1053 W. Addison | Theft | From court records: Townsend and his brother, Zikee, were accused of taking a Texas man’s debit card and $20 as the victim used an ATM near Addison and Racine in Wrigleyville. | Victim, a resident of Texas, did not appear in court. Stricken. |
| Case | Date | Address of Arrest | Charges | Allegation | Disposition |
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