March 2026 - Page 2 of 9

NYC man’s Africa trip goes to pot with $202,000 marijuana bust at O’Hare

March 28, 2026 4:48 PM Tim Hecke

A New York man who has five felony cases pending back home, including gun charges and at least one violent crime, will be residing at Cook County Jail for the foreseeable future after he was allegedly caught with more than $200,000 worth of pot in a suitcase at O’Hare International Airport.

Cops stopped to question masked men wearing latex gloves, only to see them murder a beloved West Side businessman: prosecutors

March 28, 2026 2:25 PM CWBChicago

A judge on Friday detained two men after prosecutors said they shot and killed respected West Side businessman Jerry Lewis in front of six Chicago police officers.

Smile! A passing motorist’s Meta glasses were recording when this guy tried to carjack a Lyft driver, prosecutors say

March 28, 2026 1:24 PM CWBChicago

A Chicago man is being detained after prosecutors said he tried to carjack a Lyft driver during a terrifying encounter that was partially captured on video by a passing driver’s Meta glasses.

Man had auto-firing handgun on Blue Line while on felony pretrial release: CPD

March 28, 2026 10:12 AM CWBChicago

A Chicago man already out on felony pretrial release is now charged with having an automatic-firing handgun on the Blue Line downtown, according to CPD. Alphonzo Jones, 38, was taken into custody Wednesday evening after a foot pursuit that spanned two CTA stations.

FBI raids gang base in West Englewood, seizing weapons cache, arresting two

March 28, 2026 9:03 AM CWBChicago

FBI agents executing a search warrant at a South Side home uncovered a cache of firearms, machine gun conversion devices, and suspected narcotics, federal officials said as they charged two Chicago men.

Loyola student’s killer had murder weapon wrapped in a ski mask at his home: prosecutors

March 27, 2026 3:24 PM Tim Hecke

A 25-year-old Venezuelan national who federal authorities say is in the United States without legal status was ordered detained Friday after appearing remotely in a Cook County courtroom from a jail hospital, where he is being treated for tuberculosis.

Man who robbed 3 people in 2 hours will serve about 10 months in prison after racking up credits on an ankle monitor

March 27, 2026 11:27 AM CWBChicago

When prosecutors asked a Cook County judge to detain Jacob Sickel as a public safety threat after charging him with three armed robberies, she sent him home on an ankle monitor instead. Two years later, Sickel pleaded guilty Thursday, and thanks to the credit he earned while wearing that monitor, he has roughly 10 months left to serve behind bars.

Boy found dead in street after drive-by shooting — no one called 911, and ShotSpotter is gone

March 27, 2026 11:16 AM Tim Hecke

A 17-year-old boy is dead after being shot in a drive-by on Chicago’s Northwest Side early Friday, and the circumstances surrounding his death have renewed scrutiny of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s decision to let the city’s ShotSpotter gunfire detection contract expire.

Mather High School student charged with raping girl at gunpoint in Albany Park alley

March 27, 2026 7:23 AM Tim Hecke

A 17-year-old Mather High School student is charged with raping a 15-year-old girl at gunpoint in an Avondale alley late last year while his accomplice held the victim’s friend at knifepoint nearby. Gerson Castillo Flores, originally from Colombia, was ordered detained pending trial by Luciano Panici, Jr.

At least 3 hospitalized, 8 arrested as another ‘teen trend’ causes chaos in the Loop

March 26, 2026 5:41 PM Tim Hecke

A downtown alderman is, in a way, saying “told ya so” after a teen trend spun out of control Wednesday night, until police began enforcing the city’s long-established 10 p.m. curfew.

Federal jury convicts man of threatening Trump on Instagram: ‘You should be executed’

March 26, 2026 5:07 PM Tim Hecke

A federal jury on Thursday convicted a suburban man of threatening the life of President Donald Trump. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago said the verdict followed a three-day trial with a sentencing date to be determined.

Rogers Park alderman cites threats, closes office after Loyola murder comments go viral

March 26, 2026 1:18 PM Tim Hecke

A North Side alderman is shuttering her office for three days, citing threats she received after comments she made in the wake of a Loyola University student’s murder in her ward went viral.

Legislator presses forward with facial recognition ban even after it helped solve Loyola student murder case in her district

March 26, 2026 12:53 PM Tim Hecke

A bill that would bar Illinois law enforcement agencies from using facial recognition databases to help identify crime suspects is scheduled for a second day of legislative hearings, days after the technology helped Chicago police identify the man accused of murdering a Loyola University freshman in the bill’s sponsor’s own district.

Month: March 2026