Police: Chicago Man Charged with Stealing Car While Wearing Ankle Monitor for Similar Cases

19-year-old Jonathan Curtis in Chicago is accused of stealing a car while wearing an ankle
Chicago Police Department
Amy Furr

A 19-year-old man in Chicago is accused of stealing a car after getting into trouble for a pair of similar cases in 2023.

Officials charged the man with stealing the vehicle while he was wearing an ankle monitor for two other stolen car incidents in March, CWB Chicago reported on Tuesday.

The suspect, identified as Jonathan Curtis, is behind bars and labeled a public safety threat and flight risk in two of the cases.

An image shows the man in question:

“Clearly wasn’t monitored well enough! Smh,” one social media user commented on the story, while another said, “Well who could have seen that coming?”

The CWB Chicago report continued:

North Riverside cops arrested Curtis on March 2, saying he struck one of their patrol cars with a stolen Jeep Cherokee and also possessed a loaded firearm, according to court records. After appearing before Judge Sheree Henry, he posted a $500 bail deposit and went home on an ankle monitor the next day.

Two months later, Judge Geary Kull ordered the sheriff’s office to remove Curtis’ ankle monitor.

And, two months after that, on July 13, cops arrested Curtis for allegedly possessing a stolen Toyota Camry in the 600 block of North Lorel. Prosecutors charged him with possessing a stolen motor vehicle and fleeing and attempting to elude.

However, Judge Kelly McCarthy held the suspect rather than allowing a $6,000 bail deposit. He remained behind bars until officials reviewed his case after the state eliminated cash bail a few months ago.

Illinois became the first state in the nation to eliminate cash bail in September, Breitbart News reported at the time. The decision brought heavy criticism to the Democrat-controlled state.

Per the CWB Chicago article, the suspect was told to go home in October and was fitted with an ankle monitor. However, a few months later, police allegedly watched Curtis steal a car its owner left running as it was parked on North Campbell.

The officers tailed him until he exited the vehicle on North Juneway Terrace. When he got back into the car, the officers tried to make a traffic stop but were forced to stop pursuing when he busted through a pair of red lights.

The suspect’s ankle monitor GPS reportedly showed he was there when those incidents occurred.

It is important to note that in 2020, Chicago police introduced a vehicle pursuit policy that gave officers a list to consider when deciding if they should chase a vehicle, according to Breitbart News.

The recent CWB Chicago article said the suspect was arrested for this third case and charged with aggravated possession of a stolen motor vehicle as well as aggravated fleeing. He is scheduled to appear in court in the next few weeks.

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