Man gets probation for River North robbery that he allegedly committed while free on 3 recognizance bonds

Mantas Arlouska received three recognizance bonds in a month, including one for burglarizing a boat at a downtown harbor, before he was arrested a fourth time in August 2020 for robbing a woman as she walked to work in River North.

“That streak of good fortune ends today,” Judge John Lyke replied after being told of the three I-bonds Arlouska had recently received for recent cases. Lyke held him without bail.

The good fortune kicked in again.

Judge Diana Kenworthy has sentenced Arlouska to 24-months probation for both the robbery and the burglary cases. He’ll also serve 50 hours of community service. Prosecutors dropped four felonies in their deal with Arlouska, including unlawful restraint and identity theft, court records show.

Mantas Arlouska | CPD

Prosecutors said Arlouska, now 44, approached the woman as she waited for a pedestrian signal to change on the 100 block of West Illinois. She “quickened her pace to a jog” as Arlouska began following her while yelling incoherently, prosecutors said.

When the woman ran into the lobby of her work building, Arlouska followed her onto the elevator. He began shouting at her in an “increasingly aggressive tone,” blocked her access to the elevator door, and raised his hands toward her, prosecutors said.

The victim began crying and handed him her wallet, but Arlouska allegedly began shouting again when he saw it did not contain any money.

Police found Arlouska in the Loop. They said he threw the victim’s wallet into a trash can as they pulled up to speak with him. Video from a gas station allegedly showed Arlouska using the woman’s credit card to buy drinks and cigarettes.

One month earlier, Arlouska was given a recognizance bond after prosecutors charged him with burglarizing a boat named Dancing Bear at DuSable Harbor. Five days after that, he received a recognizance bond for criminal trespass to a residence, also at DuSable Harbor. And about ten days after that, he received another recognizance bond when he was accused of assault and retail theft on the 800 block of North State.

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