CHICAGO — A man on pretrial release for a stolen vehicle case will be spending more of his time behind bars now that prosecutors are accusing him of robbing four people at gunpoint within 90 minutes.
Manuel Gomez, 21, was arrested to face charges in the robberies as he left court after a hearing for the stolen vehicle case this week.
Chicago police and prosecutors say he and an unnamed accomplice robbed four people in separate holdups beginning in the 3500 block of North Hamlin around 5:25 a.m. on October 10. During that robbery, the accomplice held a gun to a 24-year-old man’s head while Gomez took two phones, cash, and a flashlight from the victim, according to the allegations.
The duo robbed three more people by following the same playbook, officials said.
- A 33-year-old man was robbed of a phone and tablet at 6:44 a.m. in the 6800 block of West Diversey.
- A 39-year-old woman was robbed of a phone and backpack in the 2700 block of North Mont Clare around 6:45 a.m.
- A 45-year-old man was robbed of his wallet in the 2100 block of North Latrobe around 7 a.m.
Judge Caroline Glennon-Goodman detained Gomez on the robbery charges, saying he had “preyed upon the citizens who were just going about their day.” She also noted that he and the accomplice used a stolen car during the robbery spree.
Gomez has been on pretrial release for possessing a stolen motor vehicle since early July. Chicago police said they caught him riding a stolen scooter with no license plates and a peeled steering column in the 4400 block of West Armitage on July 2. The scooter’s owner reported she parked it around 8:15 p.m. on July 1 and it was gone the next morning.
Court records show Gomez entered a deferred prosecution agreement in the stolen vehicle case on October 16, just six days after he allegedly committed the robberies. That agreement is now in jeopardy.
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