A South Side man is accused of shooting at a Lyft driver on the Dan Ryan Expressway and then trying to cover his tracks by falsely reporting his car stolen less than an hour later, prosecutors said. His ruse began falling apart when state troopers found the “stolen” car parked behind his apartment building.
Robert Staples, 29, was ordered detained by Judge Antara Rivera on charges of aggravated discharge of a firearm toward an occupied vehicle and manufacture-delivery of cannabis. The latter charge stems from marijuana police say they found in his apartment after the shooting investigation led them to his home.
According to a detention petition, Staples was behind the wheel of a 2015 Kia sedan around 8 p.m. on June 10 when he fired multiple shots at a 2015 Buick traveling near 39th Street on the inbound Dan Ryan.
The Buick’s driver, a Lyft operator, told police he picked up a passenger near 67th Street and Marquette Avenue and was driving northbound when he noticed a white Kia with a damaged bumper tailing him. The Kia pulled alongside, then moved ahead, then fell back again, prosecutors said.
As the Kia reached the Buick’s rear left side, the Lyft driver heard about five gunshots. His car was struck multiple times, including a shattered window. No other vehicles were nearby when the shots rang out, he said.
The Lyft driver exited the expressway and informed his passenger he was calling the police, prosecutors said. The passenger got out and walked away, saying he didn’t want police involvement because he had a warrant, according to a police report.
Just 45 minutes after the shooting, Staples reported his Kia stolen, prosecutors said.
But Illinois State Police troopers found the supposedly stolen Kia about two hours later in the 2700 block of West Congress Parkway — directly behind Staples’ apartment building, authorities said. Investigators later executed search warrants on the car and Staples’ residence. They say they recovered packaged marijuana inside his apartment.
When detectives presented the Lyft driver with a photo lineup, he identified Staples as the man who fired at him and the sole occupant of the Kia. Dash cam footage from the Lyft vehicle, license plate reader hits, and surveillance video also helped authorities identify Staples’ Kia, according to prosecutors.
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