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| Conner (left) and Mylander are charged with threatening staff and shoplifting at the Boystown Jewel. |
Let’s hope a friendly neighborhood grocery store is more concerned about crime in our neighborhood than an overly-forgiving social service agency.
Two former clients of the Center on Halsted—both of whom are now banned from entering the agency’s premises due to their conduct—are charged with threatening workers at the Boystown Jewel-Osco store during a shoplifting attempt.
Witnesses told police that 24-year-old Brian Conner and 19-year-old Donovan Mylander each shoplifted some Heineken and headed for the exit around 1:30 p.m. on September 26. Jewel workers were able to reclaim the alcohol in the parking lot, sparking a series of threats from the two.
Conner told one worker, “I’ll knock you out. I’m from the South Side. I don’t give a f***.” And Mylander got into a worker’s face, yelling “ I’m from the South Side! You took my property. I should start swinging on you.”
Conner, who lists his home as the Night Ministry at 4711 North Ravenswood, and Mylander (who lives in the West Loop) is charged with assault and retail theft.
Records show that both Mylander and Conner have been charged with criminal matters that occurred at the Center On Halsted, 3656 North Halsted, only to walk free when the center failed to show up in court.
Conner was blessed with two free passes from the center in 2015: In one case he was accused of threatening two security guards. In the second case, he allegedly threatened a COH employee: “so you got my peoples locked up” and brandished a “black and silver combat knife,” causing the victim to flee the scene and call police.
But, Conner went free because no COH workers ever showed up for his court cases. Now, he’s merely barred from entering the COH, making him everyone else’s problem while the center enjoys operations without him.
Mylander was arrested at the Center on Halsted during June’s Pride Fest celebration. Witnesses told police that Mylander pushed an employee and refused to leave the premises. He was arrested and charged. But, once again, the COH did not send anyone to Mylander’s court date, forcing the state to drop charges…once again making him everyone else’s problem except their own.
Last November, CWBChicago reported that—despite publicly-made promises—the Center failed to show up in court for 25 out of 26 cases in which its employees or agents were listed as victims.
