Migrant arrested 13 times in Chicago is 'eligible' for deportation after pleading guilty to robbery attempt, judge warns

CHICAGO — Santiago Josue Baragas Rodriguez, a Venezuelan migrant arrested 13 instances in a yr, obtained the previous “excellent news, dangerous information” remedy on the twenty sixth and California courthouse on Thursday.

The excellent news? A choose gave him probation for attempting to rob a lady in Streeterville in November. The dangerous information (for him): Since he pleaded responsible, he’s now eligible for deportation.

We launched you to Baragas Rodriguez in November after a 43-year-old girl intervened upon seeing him use a rock to attempt to break the lock off her electrical bike within the 400 block of North Metropolis Entrance Place.

When she tried to take her bike again, Baragas Rodriguez, 20, swung the rock, then slapped and struggled along with her, in line with a Chicago police report. A witness jumped in to disarm and detain Baragas Rodriguez till officers arrived.

Baragas Rodriguez was on pretrial launch for 3 separate shoplifting instances on the time of the theft try. The primary choose to see him in regards to the theft allegations famous that he “continues to commit crimes towards residents in Chicago.”

On Thursday, he pleaded responsible to tried theft earlier than Choose Shelley Sutker-Dermer, who handed him the two-year probation sentence. She additionally sentenced him to 6 months in jail, offset by 112 days he had already spent behind bars since being arrested in Streeterville.

Sutker-Dermer took a second to advise Baragas Rodriguez that he may very well be deported in gentle of his theft conviction, in line with a person who was in courtroom throughout sentencing.

Baragas Rodriguez entered his plea barely every week after President Donald Trump signed the Laken Riley Act, which “mandates the federal detention of unlawful immigrants who’re accused of theft, housebreaking, assaulting a legislation enforcement officer, and any crime that causes dying or critical bodily harm.”

Prosecutors on Thursday dropped the three energetic shoplifting instances Baragas Rodriguez confronted. They beforehand dropped most of his different 9 prison instances, primarily retail thefts, though he didn’t attend courtroom for a few of them.

On Could 20, a Macy’s worker accused him of shoplifting on the 111 North State retailer. He was on pretrial launch on the time for allegedly shoplifting from Nordstrom Rack, 101 East Chicago, on Could 3. Each instances had been dropped.

On April 4, he was arrested for trespassing after allegedly refusing to go away the Northwestern Memorial Hospital parking storage. Prosecutors dropped the case on June 11.

Rodriguez didn’t present up on Could 16 for a case that accused him of assault and prison trespassing within the Loop. Prosecutors dropped the costs in his absence as a result of the alleged sufferer didn’t present up both. He didn’t present up on March 7 for a case involving allegations that he shoplifted from House Depot, 4555 South Western Avenue. Prosecutors dropped that case, too.

He didn’t present up on December 12, 2023, for a shoplifting case wherein he was accused of stealing two pairs of sneakers from Nordstrom Rack, 24 North State. As soon as once more, prosecutors dropped the cost as a result of the shop didn’t ship a consultant to courtroom.

Unique reporting you’ll see nowhere else, paid for by our readers. Click on right here to help our work.