CHICAGO, IL – Three suspects were arrested on March 5th after police noticed a stolen vehicle that was used in an alleged shoplifting-mob incident on March 4th.

Two of the suspects apprehended from the stolen vehicle had been released on various other charges under Chicago’s bail reform.

Shocking, I know.

The recent arrest took place at around 12:15 p.m. on March 5th, when police who were working near the Magnificent Mile identified a blue Toyota that had been reported stolen.

Not only was the vehicle stolen, it had apparently been used as a getaway car to pilfer $4,000 worth of Gucci purses the day prior.

Police began to tail the vehicle, when it had crashed into another car near the 1000 block of North Lake Shore Drive. After the vehicle crashed, five occupants darted from the car, but all were ultimately detained.

The driver of the car, identified as a 21-year old woman, suffered minor injuries and was taken to the Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Between the six total occupants, the injured driver and the five who ran after the car crashed, three have been charged with crimes related to the March 5th incident.

However, as of this time, none of those involved in the crash have been charged with the alleged Gucci bag heist from March 4th.

The three facing charges are 19-year-old Eric Taylor, 20-year-old Malik Winding, and 21-year-old Tashaun Ross.

Out of the three currently facing criminal charges, two of them were the previous recipients of Chicago’s obviously flawed bail reform.

Taylor’s new charges from the incident are felony carjacking with a firearm and misdemeanor counts of criminal trespass to vehicle, reckless conduct, resisting police, and obstructing identification.

Police stated that Taylor was identified as one of the armed men who carjacked a man on December 21st, but the report didn’t mention as to whether the vehicle involved on the March 5th crash was the car stolen from the 33-year-old victim late last year.

However, police have been on the lookout for Taylor for some time, as he had skipped out on several mandated court appearances for previous arrests.

On June 17th of 2019, Taylor was implicated in a shoplifting-mob that robbed merchandise from an Urban Outfitters. While he was in custody, police also realized that he was the driver of a getaway vehicle that was used to rob a man in West Chicago a week prior to the June arrest.

The judge in that case let Taylor walk out on June 18th without bail and opted for electronic monitoring.

Lo and behold, Taylor didn’t show up to his scheduled July 10th court appearance. When police located Taylor, he was released again under a reduced bond of $600.

Once again, police arrested Taylor on October 16th of 2019 after he was positively identified by a woman who was robbed in May of 2019. Wouldn’t you know it, a reduced bond of $1,000 saw him walk free and he was placed again on electronic monitoring.

Come to find out, on this latest arrest this year, Taylor never showed for a single scheduled court appearance after his latest bail release in October of 2019.

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As for Winding, he’s currently facing charges of felony receiving or possessing a stolen motor vehicle, battery, and traffic violations for the March 5th arrest. Winding was one of the vehicle occupants that had allegedly booked it after the car crashed that day.

According to police. Winding fled the scene of the crash and headed into a luxury condo located off of East Lake Shore Drive.

A doorman who was working at the building was reported as having been headbutted by Winding for trying to bar him from entering the building.

Back in September of 2019, Winding was arrested for allegedly being a part of a shoplifting-mob that stole nearly $3,000 worth of merchandise from a Zara store. He was released without having to post bail in that case.

In Winding’s latest case, the judge has ordered bail of $25,000, but he was ordered held without bail for the previous felony retail theft case. Taylor is also being held without bail (finally).

Both Winding and Taylor have their next scheduled court appearance for March 12th.

The third suspect, Ross, was charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass to vehicle and misdemeanor obstruction of identification.

Ross is noted as having a previous arrest of retail theft back on January 11th, 2017 according to Highland Park Police records as well as a September 27th arrest by the CPD for removing a theft detection device and criminal trespassing.

Ross was released without having to post bond on the September 2019 arrest, but these latest charges compelled her to post a $1,500 bond. Ross’ next scheduled court appearance is on March 31st.

Bail reform is the gift that keeps on giving. By that I mean it gives suspected criminals more opportunities to commit crimes, gives citizens more opportunities to be victimized, and likely gives police a headache.

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