Two suburban men were surrounded, threatened, and robbed inside a Millennium Park parking garage, and four men now face charges, although prosecutors say three more robbers escaped and remain unidentified.
Ernesto Gayton, 19, of Evanston; Anthony Hernandez, 20, of Chicago; Frank Leal, 23, of Chicago; and Issac Torres, 19, of Cicero, have all been detained on robbery and attempted robbery charges in connection with the March 6 muggings by Judge Antara Rivera, according to court records.
According to a detention filing, the group surrounded a 24-year-old Midlothian man inside the garage at 5 South Columbus Drive. Leal allegedly told Hernandez to “show him the gun,” and Hernandez then lifted his sweater as if displaying a firearm. Feeling threatened, the victim handed over his chain and earrings. Torres and Gayton then patted down the victim as well as his companion, a 20-year-old man from Harvey, though nothing was taken from the second victim, prosecutors said.
Cops reviewed surveillance footage and radioed a description of the robbers to patrol units. A CPD bicycle unit located the four accused men a short time later near the intersection of Lake and Wabash in the Loop. Officers allegedly recovered the victim’s chain from Hernandez. Prosecutors say three additional people took part in the robbery but fled and have not been identified.
Judge Rivera noted that Gayton has a juvenile record that includes an adjudication for possession of a stolen motor vehicle and time served in the juvenile department of corrections.
Hernandez is currently on parole for an unlawful possession of a weapon charge that he pleaded guilty to on January 26, according to court records.
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