Chicago police recovered two handguns and a stolen car while investigating an auto break-in at a Streeterville condo building parking garage early Wednesday, prosecutors said. Two men, including one who was paroled on gun charges in February, are charged with felonies along with a 17-year-old boy.
A witness summoned police after they saw three men break the window of an Infiniti sedan inside the garage at 545 North McClurg around 1:30 a.m., Assistant State’s Attorney Sean Kelly said. When the men saw police approaching, the driver reversed, crashed into a parked car, and sped out of the garage.
He didn’t get far. Kelly said the trio ran from the car after crashing into a pole on McClurg.
The front-seat passenger, identified as recently-paroled Devonta Ford, 21, jumped a fence and pushed a woman as she entered a luxury apartment building on the 500 block of North Peshtigo, Kelly said. He ran into the complex followed by the 17-year-old and the alleged driver, Raylun Polk, 21.
Police arrested Polk in the vestibule. They found Ford hiding behind a washing machine in the laundry room, and the juvenile was discovered behind a lobby vending machine, Kelly said.
Things got interesting back at the crash scene. Officers allegedly found a black handgun on the front passenger floorboard where Ford was seated. Another gun, this one equipped with a laser sight, extended magazine, and automatic fire switch, was on the rear floorboard where the teenager had been riding.
Ford allegedly told police that the gun they found on the front floorboard had been in the center console cupholder, but it fell to the floor when the Infiniti crashed.
The Elgin man who owns the car reported it stolen from a parking lot near O’Hare last month.
Glencoe police identified Polk as one of the offenders who has been breaking into car dealerships in their city to steal vehicle key fobs, Kelly said. Polk was allegedly wearing the same blue tracksuit and had the same hairstyle as one of the Glencoe suspects.
Ford was convicted of two armed robberies and two felony gun charges in 2019. According to Illinois Department of Corrections records, officials released him on parole on February 10.
He is charged with Class X armed habitual criminal and misdemeanor charges of criminal damage, criminal trespass to a vehicle, and trespassing. Judge Maryam Ahmad granted the state’s request to hold him without bail. She also held him without bail at the request of IDOC, which is reviewing his parole status.
Polk, whose real name is allegedly Chanson South, is charged with felony possession of a stolen motor vehicle and misdemeanor counts of criminal damage, trespassing, and obstructing identification. Ahmad held him without bail on four arrest warrants from DuPage and Livingston counties. He faces charges in both counties for burglary and possessing a stolen motor vehicle. She said he would need to pay a deposit of $35,000 to get out of jail on electronic monitoring on the new charges.
Kelly said Polk was convicted of felony theft in 2019 and has juvenile adjudications for possessing a defaced firearm, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, vehicular hijacking, and criminal trespass to a vehicle.
His defense attorney said Polk lives in Markham and is the father of a 1-year-old.
Prosecutors charged the juvenile with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and unlawful use of a machine gun.
Cops were primed for their response Wednesday. They handled a similar call of six men breaking into a car in a garage on the 400 block of North Lake Shore Drive around 3 a.m. Monday. But that group got away. No one has been charged in that case.