2 men with serious criminal records committed armed robbery inside River North garage: prosecutors

Mitchell Davis (left) and Duran Gladney. | Chicago Police Department; Google

CHICAGO — Prosecutors released new details about Friday’s armed robbery inside a River North parking garage during a bail hearing for the two men accused of committing the crime.

Judge William Fahy held Duran Gladney, 30, and 52-year-old Mitchell Davis without bail at the end of the hearing on Saturday afternoon. Davis, who has previous convictions for attempted murder and home invasion, faces a possible life sentence if convicted, prosecutors said.

As the two victims waited for an elevator inside the garage at 540 North State around 12:30 a.m. Friday, Gladney, Davis, and a third man who remains at large emerged from a nearby stairwell with handguns, prosecutor Sarah Dale-Schmidt said.

Davis pointed a gun at one man, who lives in the building, and went through his pockets, taking three phones, more than $1,000 in cash, and three key fobs, Dale-Schmidt alleged.

Gladney allegedly pointed a gun with a green laser sight at the other man, causing the victim to drop the groceries.

As the third offender fumbled with a drum magazine, trying to insert it into his handgun, the first victim pushed Davis and ran, according to Dale-Schmidt.

She said the man only got about seven feet away before Davis fired a shot at him. Davis and Gladney chased the man on foot, but he managed to get to a garage attendant to seek help.

The second victim ran to a higher garage floor and called 911.

Responding Chicago police officers blocked the garage’s access points moments before Gladney pulled up to an exit in a car with Davis in the rear passenger seat, Dale-Schmidt said. The cops allegedly found one gun under each seat they were sitting in.

Investigators recovered the first victim’s key fobs from the car. They also found the third offender’s drum magazine lying on the garage floor with live bullets scattered about.

Dale-Shmidt said Davis was convicted of attempted murder, home invasion, and armed robbery in 1997 for forcing victims to lie on the floor, demanding money, and shooting one victim who struggled with him.

Ten months after he was paroled in 2002, he committed another home invasion, she said. He works as a barber and in home construction, according to his lawyer.

Prosecutors charged him with armed habitual criminal, armed robbery with discharge of a firearm, and attempted robbery with a firearm.

Gladney has six felony convictions, including two gun charges, robbery, and manufacture-delivery of heroin, according to Dale-Schmidt. His defense attorney said he works full-time at an auto assembly plant.

He’s charged with armed robbery with a firearm, attempted robbery with a firearm, and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon with a previous conviction. Dale-Schmidt said prosecutors expect to add an armed habitual criminal charge soon.