Chicago — Things were going pretty well for Shawn Dodd one year ago. He had been charged with Class X armed robbery and other felonies for allegedly robbing two stores in the Loop during the summer.
He was accused of stabbing one of the victims, a cellular store employee. But because witnesses didn’t appear in court, prosecutors dismissed the charges in October 2021. Dodd, who had been sitting in jail awaiting trial, was set free.
Less than a month later, he walked into the CVS at 101 North Clinton and began loading Duracell batteries into his bookbag, prosecutors said. When two employees asked him to leave, Dodd allegedly pulled out a knife, pointed it at the women, and — referring to the store security guard by name — said, “What’s Rodney going to do?”
According to prosecutors, he left with $1,150 worth of Duracell batteries and walked out. Cops rounded him up, and prosecutors charged him with the CVS robbery as well as the two other cases that were dropped weeks earlier.
Dodd’s in prison now, and he’ll be there until at least January 8, 2027, according to state records. He pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery in exchange for three concurrent 10-year sentences from Judge Joanne Rosado.
Dodd has been arrested in Chicago 22 times since he turned 18 in 2014, according to CPD records.
In February 2016, he pleaded guilty to punching a 53-year-old woman and robbing her of $30 in the 5900 block of North Kenmore. Judge William Lacy sentenced him to three years but also recommended Dodd for an alternative boot camp program.
In August 2018, Dodd was charged with misdemeanors for allegedly grabbing cash from a man’s hand at the Addison Red Line station. When the victim caught up with Dodd outside of Wrigley Field, Dodd punched him in the face and ran away, according to a CPD report.
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