28-Year-Old Venezuelan Migrant Arrested for Possession of Loaded Handgun and Inert Grenade on CTA Bus
A 28-year-old Venezuelan migrant, Jose Yepes, was detained Thursday evening after police allegedly found a loaded handgun and an inert grenade in his possession following a disturbance on a CTA bus in South Chicago.
Yepes was arrested around 7:35 p.m. in the 7900 block of South Jeffrey Boulevard after a bus driver flagged down Chicago police to report a battery in progress, according to a CPD arrest report.
When officers boarded the bus, they saw Yepes exiting. As he did, police said, he “became wide-eyed and attempted to rush out of the bus.” The officers noticed a bulge in his waistband and detained him.
Police said they recovered a loaded .380-caliber handgun from Yepes’ waistband and a green grenade from his crossbody bag. The CPD Bomb Squad determined the grenade was inert.
Officers also learned Yepes had an active warrant for failing to appear in court on a misdemeanor shoplifting case. The warrant has been active since March 2024.
On Friday, Judge James Costello ordered Yepes detained on charges of unlawful possession of a bomb or grenade and unlawful possession of a weapon.
Although the grenade found in Yepes’ bag was inert, meaning it had no explosive capability, prosecutors still charged him with unlawful use of a bomb or grenade.
Under Illinois law, possessing any device designed to resemble or function as an explosive can result in criminal charges, even if it cannot detonate. Legal experts note that such charges are often used to deter individuals from carrying realistic look-alike devices in public, especially in crowded places like transit systems.
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