Deontae Brisco is accused of robbing a woman in the street on the 500 block of West Armitage. | CPD; Google |
At least four witnesses told police they saw a woman get chased into Armitage Avenue and robbed by a man on Wednesday afternoon. One of them beat the alleged attacker with a bike. Another, who drives for FedEx, chased the alleged mugger while relaying their location to police via 911.
When it was all over, 19-year-old Deontae Brisco was in handcuffs and prosecutors later charged him with one count of felony robbery. Judge John Lyke allowed him to go home by posting a $100 bond deposit.
Police said a 25-year-old woman was walking to work in the 500 block of West Armitage shortly before 1 p.m. when Brisco walked up behind her and tried to grab her phone. The woman held onto the device and ran into the street. Brisco chased her down, pushed her to the pavement, and wrestled with her to gain control of the phone, according to a police report.
A cyclist who saw the whole thing chased after Brisco and hit him with his bike, according to a report. Then, the FedEx driver chased after Brisco and called in location updates to emergency dispatchers. Cops caught up with the teen at the North/Clybourn Red Line station.
Police said Brisco admitted to taking the phone because he needed $100. The victim was treated for injuries to her ankle and knee.
Judge Lyke set bail at $1,000, which allowed Brisco to go free by making a deposit of $100—the same amount that he allegedly said motivated him to steal a cellphone. Brisco will also be placed on electronic monitoring.