A Chicago man didn’t just steal a package, he stole the whole darn Amazon truck in Uptown, prosecutors said during a bond court hearing Tuesday afternoon.
According to a police report, the delivery driver hopped off his Amazon cargo van to make a delivery in the 1400 block of West Leland around 10:45 a.m. Monday. He returned just in time to see the van disappear down the block. Prosecutors said he left it running.
Police searched the area and saw the truck stuck in heavy traffic nearby. They trailed the vehicle and found it abandoned in an alley on the 5300 block of North Sheridan a few minutes later.
Officers stopped Lanel Lomack, 57, as he walked down a nearby street. Cops recognized him as the person who was driving the van through traffic, prosecutors said. The Amazon driver allegedly identified him as the thief, too.
Prosecutors said Lomack made “partial admissions,” but he allegedly insisted that he didn’t steal anything from inside the van. He is now charged with felony possession of a stolen motor vehicle.
Chicago police records show Lomack was arrested for shoplifting eight times in about four months during 2017. He received a six-year sentence for felony theft in 2013 and four years for burglary in 2018. His parole in the burglary case ended in January.
Judge David Navarro set his bail at $5,000, meaning Lomack will need to post $500 to get out of jail.