CHICAGO — Two Venezuelan migrants living at the South Chicago (4th) District police station are facing misdemeanor charges after allegedly trying to shoplift a $130 karaoke machine while one was carrying more than a half-pound of pot.
Victor Franco-Espinosa, 28, and Georleannys Garcia-Renhifo, 29, were arrested at Walmart, 10900 South Doty, last Tuesday evening.
A Walmart security guard showed cops a video that showed Franco-Espinosa stuffing a karaoke machine into a bag and walking out the door, according to a CPD arrest report. Garcia-Renhifo had 15 additional items in a bag, along with 248 grams of marijuana worth $2,700, the report said. That’s a little less than 9 ounces of weed.
They were both released from custody with instructions to show up in court.
In other developments involving some of Chicago’s new arrivals:
A Venezuelan migrant who went AWOL after prosecutors charged him with possessing a stolen firearm during a traffic stop in the Loop on September 27 is back in custody.
Judge Robert Kuzas released Jose Aponte-Garcia, 24, the day after he got arrested and told him to show up in court a few days later. When Aponte-Garcia no-showed, Kuzas put out a warrant.
Unfortunately for Aponte-Garcia, his residence is the lobby of the Near North (18th) District police station. An officer recognized him when he “returned home” last week and took him into custody. Kuzas ordered him to be detained for ten days until he goes to court on October 23, according to court records.
In another case, three migrants who live at the Central (1st) District station in the South Loop were arrested last Thursday.
Officers said Alejandro Salazar, 22, and Enrique Pina, 21, resisted arrest after cops tried to arrest them for throwing trash into the street, picking fights with passersby, and blocking traffic on State Street.
Junior Castellanos, 25, was arrested for interfering with Salazar’s arrest, a separate CPD report said. Cops said they found a crack pipe and a folding knife with a blade longer than 3 inches in his pocket during a custodial search. He is charged with resisting, unlawful use of a knife, and possessing drug paraphernalia.
According to court records, Castellanos was on pretrial release at the time, accused of shoplifting from Ulta Beauty on the Magnificent Mile. Prosecutors dropped those charges on Monday.
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