CHICAGO — A Venezuelan migrant charged with robbing a Divvy bike worker in Lincoln Park was released from custody the next day to await trial, according to Chicago police and court records.
The Divvy employee reported the robbery by flagging down a Chicago police officer at State Parkway and North Boulevard around 5:45 p.m. last Thursday. He told cops that he was placing Divvy bikes into a rack when Anthony De Jesus Bautista, 22, asked to use one, according to a CPD report.
When the Divvy employee explained that Bautista had to pay to use the bikes, Bautista shoved the worker to the ground, and an accomplice took a Divvy bike and rode away toward the lake, the report said.
Police searched the area and found Bautista, 22, in the 1700 block of North Stockton. His arrest report listed the Standard Club migrant shelter at 320 South Plymouth as his home address.
Prosecutors did not ask Judge David Kelly to hold Bautista as either a flight risk or a public safety threat, so Kelly released him, court records show.
Strike 3
Jefferson Bozo Santiago, a migrant we reported had been arrested twice in two weeks for retail theft in July, has been arrested for retail theft again.
Santiago, who used to live at the Standard Club, now lists a home address in the 1600 block of South Blue Island.
He was arrested around 5:45 p.m. Friday at Walmart, 4650 West North Avenue, according to a Chicago police report.
Walmart employees told police that Jefferson started his shoplifting adventure by taking a duffle bag from the shelves and stuffing it with an air mattress, an air pump, and clothing. He proceeded to take a scooter, which he assembled in the store, and then left without paying, according to his latest arrest report.
The report said the total value of the stolen merchandise was $647.61.
But prosecutors refused to charge him with a felony, according to the report. Instead, he was charged with misdemeanor retail theft. Judge Kelly McCarthy released him from custody the next day.
Back on the Fourth of July, security officers at Macy’s, 111 North State, detained him for putting a bottle of Prada perfume and four Puma shirts into his hoodie and a book bag, according to an arrest report. Total value: $260. He was released from the police station on a recognizance bond.
Just twelve days later, he was arrested at Neiman Marcus, 737 North Michigan. Security officers told police they saw him put a pair of $247 sunglasses into a bag and walk out, according to a police report. Judge Susana Ortiz set bail at $3,000 on July 18, but Judge Daniel Gallagher reduced it to a recognizance bond a few days later. The case is still pending.
In the interim, according to court records, Santiago entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with prosecutors for the July 4 incident. He performed community service, and prosecutors dropped the case on September 28, two days before his latest arrest.
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