Officials allege that a man committed armed robbery on a Chicago sidewalk before chowing down on a stolen takeout order of fried chicken in the victim’s car, according to a report.
James Taylor, 20, was arrested around 1:30 a.m. Saturday morning in the 4500 block of S Calumet Ave on charges of armed robbery with a firearm, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, aggravated possession of a stolen vehicle, and possession of a lost debit card, an arrest record indicates.
Citing officials, CWB Chicago reported that Taylor allegedly approached the victim when the man was returning to his home with fried chicken:
Taylor interrupted him to ask for a light, but the victim said he didn’t have one and kept walking.
Taylor then tapped the man on the shoulder. When the victim turned around, Taylor was pointing a pistol at his face, prosecutor Kenneth Flesch said. The victim handed over his keys, $2 in cash, a debit card, and the fried chicken.
Taylor, according to Flesch, climbed into the victim’s car and went to work on the chicken while the victim dialed 911. Police arrested Taylor a few minutes later.
Taylor is currently in Cook County Jail awaiting a February 22 court date. He is being held on a $150,000 bond, an inmate record indicates.
CWB Chicago noted armed robbery carries a minimum sentence of 21 years but because of Taylor’s previously clean record, it wouldn’t be unusual for him to be offered a more lenient plea deal.
The Chicago Police Department’s crime statistics show that robberies from January 1, 2023, through February 12 are up 23 percent compared to the same period in 2022, and 26 percent from 2021. All of the seven major felony offenses have increased numbers compared to the same period in 2022, except for murder, which has dropped by 22 percent.
In an unrelated incident in October, as Breitbart News noted, an 18-year-old man allegedly entered an apartment in Indiana and attempted to rob the residents at gunpoint. The three alleged victims reportedly fought back.
Police say the trio succeeded in disarming the man, at which point he allegedly pulled another gun and fired. Police say one of the residents then used his own gun to hold the alleged robber until law enforcement arrived.