Man charged in pet boarding van theft in Lincoln Park appears in court
A man charged after a van full of dogs was taken off the street in Lincoln Park this week appeared in court on Wednesday.
Chicago police said Edwin Herrera, 46, was charged with felony counts of possessing a stolen vehicle, possessing burglary tools, and possessing a stolen or altered title or registration. He was also charged with 10 misdemeanor counts of trespassing, theft, and animal cruelty.
Herrera appeared in court on Wednesday. Despite the judge's concerns about his lengthy criminal history, which includes car thefts, the state did not ask for Herrera to remain detained.
The theft happened around 11 a.m. on Tuesday outside Animal Loves Pet Salon on N. Clybourn Avenue near the intersection with Greenview Avenue.
David Cox, owner of Markay's Castle of the Dogs in Tippecanoe, Indiana, was dropping off dogs at the salon when he said someone had gotten into the van and driven away.
Prosecutors said that after jumping into the van and driving off, he at one point swapped the van's Indiana license plates for fake Illinois plates.
Police later tracked the van down in an alley near Lakewood and Oakdale avenues in Lakeview. The thief wasn't there, but all the dogs were, as well as some stolen lawn equipment. Let over McDonald's was also in the van, according to prosecutors.
The dogs were reunited with their owners, who said the hours their beloved pets were missing were terrifying.
As for Herrera, court records show his criminal history, including convictions of aggravated battery, possessing and selling stolen property four times, which includes vehicles.
In March 2014, he was convicted of taking an ambulance from Gary, Indiana, telling investigators at the time, "I was walking and took the ambulance to get a ride home," court documents read.
Just last month, officers heard about a stolen Jeep Grand Cherokee they spotted at a gas station in Humboldt Park. They said they had seen Herrera closing the tailgate. He was charged with criminal trespass to a vehicle. Police said there was a dog inside that Jeep. He told officers that the Jeep wasn't his, but the dog belonged to him. That case was later dropped.
In the Lincoln Park case, the judge told Herrera, " The only reason why I'm setting conditions for your release is because the state hasn't asked me to detain you."
Herrera was placed on electronic monitoring. He is due back in court on March 10.