An 18-year-old man with a pending juvenile robbery case was carrying a handgun when police arrested him for stealing a man’s phone Tuesday morning on the Near North Side, prosecutors said.
The alleged victim was near Orleans and Oak when someone grabbed his phone around 11:30 a.m. and ran away, according to a CPD report. The man chased after the thief and managed to get his phone back before flagging down a patrol car to report what happened, Assistant State’s Attorney Darryl Auguste said.
Witnesses kept an eye on the thief and pointed officers in his direction. When officers arrested James Hardin nearby, he had a loaded 9-millimeter handgun in his waist, Auguste said.
Prosecutors charged him with felony counts of theft and unlawful use of a weapon.
Judge Mary Marubio noted that the theft charge is “similar to a robbery” in that it involves allegations of taking property from a person directly. “There’s a lot going on here,” the judge said as she reflected on a defense attorney’s statement that Hardin is experiencing homelessness.
She then set Hardin’s bail at $5,000. He must go onto electronic monitoring if he manages to post a 10% deposit bond. Hardin will also be held without bail on the juvenile robbery warrant.
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