Man Charged with Robbing Grocery Store While on Electronic Monitoring
Timothy Bowden, 28, has been charged with robbing a South Side grocery store while on electronic monitoring for a pending burglary case. The incident occurred at La Feria grocery store in South Deering, where Bowden allegedly passed a holdup note to a store employee demanding money.
According to reports, Bowden was found a block away from the store by Chicago police wearing similar clothes to those worn by the robber. The cashier positively identified him as the perpetrator of the robbery.
Bowden had been on electronic monitoring since July after being arrested on a burglary charge in September 2023. Despite being allowed two days per week outside his home for essential activities, aggravated robbery is not considered an approved activity under the electronic monitoring program.
Judge Caroline Glennon-Goodman detained Bowden on a charge of aggravated robbery. The store employee also informed police that Bowden had robbed the store on another occasion, although he is currently only charged with last week’s robbery.
The Cook County sheriff’s office has stated that the operational control of the county’s primary electronic monitoring program is set to transfer from the sheriff’s office to the county court system under the 2025 budget. Sheriff Tom Dart has been vocal about his concerns regarding judges placing violent criminals on electronic monitoring and has been working to transition the program to the courts for years.
As of April 1, the sheriff’s office will no longer accept new electronic monitoring participants, with all placements after that date going on a court-operated system. The sheriff’s office will continue to monitor all participants until their criminal cases conclude or a judge releases them from electronic monitoring.
This change is aimed at aligning Cook County with national norms, as it currently operates the only sheriff’s office in the country with a pre-trial electronic monitoring program. Discussions between the sheriff’s office, Chief Judge Timothy Evans’ office, and other officials are ongoing to ensure a safe and efficient transition by April 1.
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