A man who’s accused of committing two suburban home invasions that left two men shot and a 74-year-old woman injured committed the crimes after cutting off his Cook County electronic monitoring bracelet, according to DuPage County prosecutors. And, it turns out, he’s also one of the men who got shot.
Chicago police arrested 21-year-old Malik Pitts after they allegedly found him driving a stolen car in the 1800 block of West Lake on May 21. Prosecutors charged him with felony possession of a stolen motor vehicle and Cook County Judge Mary Marubio released him on a recognizance bond the next day — although the judge also ordered him to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet.
But a DuPage County authority told the Daily Herald that Pitts cut off his ankle monitor on June 21. A Cook County sheriff spokesperson told the paper he went “on unauthorized leave.” Sheriff’s investigators couldn’t find him. Prosecutors filed an escape charge against him on June 26. Pitts, though, remained on the loose.
On August 23, Pitts and two other men barged into a Wheaton home and attacked the people who were inside, including a 74-year-old grandmother, according to newly-filed allegations. One of the offenders struck the woman in the face as she tried to protect her granddaughter, the Daily Herald reported.
That same evening, Pitts and two other men stormed into a Lombard home and attacked the family that lives there. One of Pitts’ alleged accomplices shot the homeowner during that crime, according to prosecutors. The bullet passed through the homeowner’s body and struck Pitts, too.
Prosecutors said Pitts fell into a bush after being shot. Police collected blood from the bush and sent it for DNA analysis. Pitts allegedly came back as a match.
Pitts and the other two men are now charged with attempted murder, two counts of home invasion, and aggravated battery with a firearm according to DuPage County records. A judge ordered Pitts held without bail.
One of Pitts’ accomplices is also an alum of Cook County Justice, the Daily Herald reported. Isaiah Johnson, 21, is on probation for possession of a stolen motor vehicle. He was supposed to observe a curfew and wear an ankle monitor under the terms of his sentence, DuPage prosecutors said.
The Cook County Sheriff’s Office announced last month that it will outfit all electronic monitoring participants with GPS-equipped ankle bracelets by October. However, the GPS capabilities will not help authorities locate escapees like Pitts who cut off their devices.
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