Chicago — Prosecutors say a Chicago man drove a stolen Land Rover into a River North Walgreens on Monday afternoon. The 2019 Land Rover Discovery was reported stolen from O’Hare International Airport earlier in the day.
Chicago police responded to the Walgreens at 641 North Clark after 911 callers reported that a driver had crashed into the store around 4:45 p.m. Two witnesses pointed to Nathan Thomas, 32, who was standing in the street, and told police that he was the driver, prosecutors said.
In a media statement, Chicago police said Thomas drove the SUV into the storefront “multiple times.” Prosecutors said Thomas admitted to crashing the Land Rover into the store.
He is charged with possessing a stolen motor vehicle, criminal damage to property, and driving on a suspended license.
An assistant public defender, who argued that the case “is a traffic offense,” said Thomas is homeless but has “strong ties to the community.”
Thomas was convicted of aggravated battery by discharge of a firearm in 2010. That case was reduced from attempted murder, officials said. He was also convicted of residential burglary the same year.
Judge Barbara Dawkins told Thomas he could go home to await trial by posting a $1,000 deposit toward bail.
