Two men are facing multiple weapons charges after police allegedly found them driving a U-Haul truck around River North while carrying illegal handguns late Monday night.
The downtown area was sealed off to outsiders around 8 p.m. Monday as city officials tried to prevent another wave of looting like the one that ravaged the area hours earlier.
CPD transit officers pulled the duo’s U-Haul box truck over for making an improper lane change on the 500 block of North Clark around 11:35 p.m., police said. Similar trucks have been used to ram storefronts and to carry away vast amounts of merchandise from stores during looting sprees in May and again early Monday.
Police said the cops heard noises coming from the U-Haul’s cargo area as they placed its driver, Marcus Strozier of West Ridge, into custody for failure to provide a driver’s license and proof of insurance.
Cops opened the truck’s cargo area and found 18-year-old Brian Duren hiding inside with a handgun, according to a CPD statement. Another gun was allegedly found in the truck’s cab.
Strozier, age 32, is charged with one felony count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, misdemeanor possession of a firearm without a valid Firearm Owner’s ID (FOID), and traffic violations.
Prosecutors charged Duren, of Jackson Park, with felony aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and misdemeanor counts of possessing a high capacity magazine with metal piercing bullets, possessing a firearm without a valid FOID, and violation of the concealed carry act.
Both men are due in bond court on Wednesday.