Man accused of stealing van full of dogs in Chicago arrested again on new charges
Just over a month after a grooming truck packed with dogs was stolen in Lincoln Park, Chicago police said the same thief has been accused of a string of new crimes after managing to escape electronic monitoring.
One of the victims said she heard her car alarm go off on April 8, only to look out the window and see someone's legs sticking out of her vehicle in Ukrainian Village.
She called her neighbor to help. That neighbor recorded cellphone video as he and another good Samaritan chased the man they identified as Edwin Herrera.
Before the neighbor started filming, he said Herrera pepper-sprayed him. Herrera appeared to hold up that pepper spray canister again before getting away.
Herrera was out on electronic monitoring after being accused of stealing a van full of dogs outside of a pet groomer in Lincoln Park.
Prosecutors had said he dumped the van in an alley in Lakeview, where owners were reunited with their pups. Prosecutors did not ask to have Herrera detained, something the judge expressed concern about at the time, noting Herrera had also previously been accused of stealing an ambulance in Gary, Indiana.
According to court records, Herrera is a five-time convicted felon for theft offenses.
Because prosecutors did not request Herrera be held in jail, he was released on electronic monitoring.
Days after that, a warrant was issued for Herrera's arrest, after the Cook County Chief Judge's office said he was caught tampering with his electronic monitoring device in less than 24 hours.
He was accused of trying to cut the first monitoring device off. Authorities gave him a new one, which they said he tampered with again before he disappeared, not having charged the bracelet.
A week later, police arrested Herrera and accused him of more crimes; this time charged with aggravated battery for the pepper spray attack, robbery for allegedly taking a navigation system out of a victim's car, burglary for stealing another person's credit card, and trespassing involving another vehicle.
When he appeared before a judge on Tuesday, he was ordered held in jail while he awaits trial. He's due back in court on Friday.
