Avondale man charged with shooting robbery victim while free on $200 “affordable bail” for possessing a stolen handgun


“It’s not by magic that we haven’t had any horrible incidents occur using this new [bail] system.” — Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans, Nov. 4, 2019

Enrique Soto | Cook County Sheriff

Prosecutors last week charged an Avondale man with shooting a robbery victim while free on a $200 “affordable bail” for illegal firearms possession. 

It’s the latest in a string of violent crimes that CWBChicago has found were allegedly committed by people who were free on affordable bail while awaiting trial for gun crimes and other serious felonies.

A fugitive apprehension team arrested 18-year-old Enrique Soto as he stepped out of his Avondale home shortly before noon on Feb. 10.

Prosecutors allege that Soto shot an 18-year-old man in the back while trying to rob the victim and another man on the 3800 block of West George at 6:48 p.m. on Nov. 7.

Soto last week was charged with one Class X felony count of attempted murder and felony attempted robbery while armed with a firearm. He is being held without bail.

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At the time of the shooting and robbery, Soto was free while awaiting trial for allegedly possessing a stolen handgun and resisting police on the 2900 block of North Harding in August 2019.

Judge Charles Beach allowed Soto to get out of jail by posting a deposit bond of $200 in that case, according to court records.

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CWBChicago was created in 2013 by five residents of Wrigleyville and Boystown who had grown disheartened with inaccurate information that was being provided at local Community Policing (CAPS) meetings. Our coverage area has expanded since then to cover Lincoln Park, River North, The Loop, Uptown, and other North Side Areas. But our mission remains unchanged: To provide original public safety reporting with better context and greater detail than mainstream media outlets. Our editorial email address is news@cwbchicago.com