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| Gregory Bowers was convicted of twelve burglaries and attempts. | File; CPD |
A prolific burglar has pleaded guilty to nine counts of burglary and three counts of attempted burglary in connection with a series of break-ins across the North Side in early 2017.
Gregory Bowers, 53, burglarized residential buildings for more than a year before police caught up with him in July 2018.
Bowers pleaded guilty to taking bicycles from an apartment complex in the 900 block of West Sheridan; stealing another bike from a garage in the 500 block of West Oakdale; and breaking into several other residential buildings in Avondale.
Judge William Timothy O’Brien sentenced Bowers to nine years for each burglary charge and five years for each attempt charge. The sentences will be served concurrently. After receiving credit for 336 days spent in jail awaiting trial and an anticipated 50% sentence reduction for good behavior, Bowers will be paroled on July 1, 2022. He was also fined $514.
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| Earl Cross (inset) was arrested after he stopped to get water for his eyes. | CPD; Google |
A career felon who was soaked with pepper spray when his would-be robbery victim fought back has been sentenced to probation.
Earl Cross, 63, had been out of prison just three months when he tried to rob a 24-year-old law student on the 1400 block of South Michigan in September 2018. But the woman fought back and later told police that she “pepper-sprayed the sh*t out of that mother f*cker.”
Indeed, she had. Police found Cross a couple of doors away from the victim’s condo complex after he stopped and begged a building security guard for water.
Police said the victim was waiting for an elevator at her home around 10 p.m. when Cross approached her and said, “give me $20” while holding his hand under his coat as if he had a gun. “He threatened to kill me,” the woman told police.
When the woman tried to call 911, Cross wrestled her for control of her phone. She won the struggle and retrieved pepper spray from her purse.
Then, she let loose with the pepper juice. Cross ran into the street, unable to breathe, the woman later said.
“Don’t be afraid to spray them with it until it’s all gone,” the woman advised. “It could save your life and your property.”
Cross pleaded guilty to one count of robbery in exchange for a sentence of 24-months probation, credit time served while awaiting trial and a fine of $579. Judge Lawrence Flood oversaw the case.
State records show that Cross has been sentenced to a combined 48 years in prison over the past 32 years.
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| Dakota Holt | CPD |
• A robbery offender who told his victim, “I have a gun, and you are not going to like the outcome of this,” is probably quite pleased with the outcome of his criminal case.
Dakota Holt, 24, received two-years probation with credit for 160 days served in a plea deal with prosecutors. The state dropped kidnapping and unlawful restraint charges.
Holt approached a college student and announced the robbery on the 100 block of West Hubbard around 2 a.m. on Oct. 27th, 2018. He fled the scene and managed to stay on the loose for nearly two months until police saw him on the street shortly before Christmas and recognized him as the robbery suspect.
Judge Catherine Haberkorn oversaw the case.
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| Chevazz Campbell reportedly attacked the teen in the 400 block of West Roosevelt. | Google; CPD |
A convicted felon who was accused of slashing a 17-year-old boy’s throat because the teen and his girlfriend were “taking up too much sidewalk” has been sentenced to three years in prison.
Chevazz Campbell, the victim, and a 16-year-old girl were walking on the 400 block of West Roosevelt last October when Campbell allegedly became enraged that the teens were walking side-by-side. After insisting that the couple was taking up too much space on the sidewalk, Campbell pulled out a box cutter and cut the boy’s throat, prosecutors said.
Police found Campbell near the Roosevelt Red Line station a few minutes later and took him into custody. He was later identified by the girl in a photo line-up, police said.
Judge Steven Watkins merged three aggravated battery charges into one count and sentenced Campbell to three years with 238 days credit for time he spent in jail awaiting trial.
It’s the second time that Campbell has been convicted of aggravated battery. He was sentenced to five years for the earlier case in 2009.
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| Jayvon Woods, also known as Sherwan Williams, pleaded guilty to robbing a Red Line passenger. | CPD; File |
Robbing a Red Line passenger in the Loop just four months after being paroled for another robbery has earned 22-year-old Sherwan Williams a 42-month prison sentence.
Williams, also known as Jayvon Woods, and at least three accomplices robbed a man as their northbound train approached the State-Lake station around 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 6, 2018, according to prosecutors.
Most of the offenders fled the scene, but Williams and 21-year-old Corey Dailey lingered in the area and were arrested, according to a police statement.
Williams pleaded guilty to one count of robbery in a deal with prosecutors that was approved by Judge Erica Reddick. With 279 days credit for time served and a 50% sentence reduction for good behavior, he will be paroled on April 30, 2021.
Dailey was subsequently charged with another robbery that police say they solved after he was taken into custody. His court cases are ongoing.
