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| Havid Narvaez (inset) and the Wendella ship Lila returning to dock near the Michigan Avenue bridge. | File; CPD |
We’ve frequently reported on criminal defendants who’ve been arrested on new charges while free on Cook County’s “affordable bail” program. But Havid Narvaez has raised the bar for such stories.
Since July 23rd, he has been charged with breaking into a car, released, skipped bail, charged with burglarizing a Chicago River tour boat, and then released again. Now, he’s charged with armed robbery. It was a busy three weeks.
Let’s start at the beginning.
On July 23rd, Narvaez was arrested after multiple witnesses reported seeing him breaking into a car in River North. The witnesses and police chased him into a post office parking lot, where he was found hiding behind some delivery trucks, police said. Officers recovered a “slim jim” car-opening device and a knife from Narvaez, who was charged with attempted criminal trespass to a vehicle, felony possession of burglary tools, and misdemeanor criminal damage. Judge Charles Beach released him on a recognizance bond.
One week later, Narvaez, 29, failed to show up in court, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
That same night, surveillance video allegedly recorded Narvaez as he jumped a fence and broke into the cabin of a 350-person tour boat at the Wendella cruise line dock, 400 North Michigan. He was arrested the next morning when a Trump Tower security officer who was familiar with the break-in saw him and alerted police.
Officers said Narvaez caused $2,000 worth of damage to the boat by cutting wires to its sonar, radar, and security equipment. He was charged with felony burglary and felony possession of burglary tools. Judge Beach once again gave him a recognizance bond, while ordering him held for failure to appear in the July 23rd case.
Four days later, on Aug. 5th, Judge Michael Hood nixed the no-bail order and released Narvaez on another recognizance bond.
Things were uneventful for Narvaez for almost ten days until he was arrested late on Aug. 14th for armed robbery in the Loop.
Police were called to the first block of East Randolph around 11:30 p.m. after a man reported that two strangers had just beaten and robbed him at knifepoint, according to a CPD spokesperson.
The 25-year-old victim told police that both robbers punched and kicked him while Narvaez displayed a knife and took his property. Cops took Narvaez into custody nearby after the victim identified him as one of the offenders. The other attacker has not been found, police said.
Narvaez, arrested under the name “Mijad Escobar,” is charged with armed robbery. Bail has been set at $100,000.
