Two Venezuelan Migrants Arrested for Burglary at Oak Street Beach
CHICAGO — In a series of ongoing criminal activities, two Venezuelan migrants, Jhoni Montes Alexander, 31, and Oscar Garcia Adrian, 25, have been arrested multiple times this year. Their most recent arrest involves the alleged burglary of a restaurant storage shed at Oak Street Beach.
The incident unfolded when the owner of Whispers, situated on the beach at 1001 North Lake Shore Drive, reported a break-in at the restaurant’s storage shed in the early hours of September 30. A video feed captured two individuals stealing items from the shed, prompting the owner to contact 911.
Upon arrival, responding officers found the shed had been forcibly entered, but the suspects were nowhere to be found. However, a short distance away on the lakefront path, Alexander and Adrian were apprehended with a power washer, toolbox, and bolt cutters believed to have been taken from Whispers.
Adrian claimed that the items were abandoned by two unknown individuals, and he was merely taking possession of them. Both men were charged with burglary and possession of burglary tools after the restaurant owner provided video evidence of the break-in.
At the time of the Oak Street Beach incident, Adrian was already on pretrial release for a separate retail theft offense. This charge stemmed from an accusation of stealing luggage from a TJ Maxx store in the Loop on June 10. Previous arrests for Adrian included allegations of battery, multiple instances of retail theft, and theft, all of which were eventually dropped by prosecutors.
Alexander, on the other hand, recently pleaded guilty to felony retail theft. This charge was related to an incident where he and an accomplice stole luggage worth over $1,600 from Macy’s on State Street. In his statement to law enforcement, Alexander mentioned that he resorted to theft to fund his return to Venezuela.
Despite receiving a 54-day sentence for the Macy’s theft, Alexander’s time was served while wearing an ankle monitor during the case proceedings. Additionally, he was arrested for retail theft in Harwood Heights and obstruction of identification in Chicago while on pretrial release, with both cases being dropped by prosecutors.
The repeated arrests and criminal activities of Alexander and Adrian highlight the challenges faced by some migrants in adapting to life in a new country. The legal ramifications of their actions continue to unfold as they navigate the criminal justice system.
