Venezuelan Migrant Charged with Armed Robbery in Streeterville
A 25-year-old Venezuelan migrant, Edmonds Peraza Cortez, is facing armed robbery charges after allegedly robbing a woman at gunpoint in Streeterville just days after being released from electronic monitoring for a different case.
Judge Deidre Dyer has ordered Cortez to be detained as a safety risk while he awaits trial for armed robbery.
The victim, a 41-year-old woman, reported that Cortez approached her outside her building on East Illinois, displaying a gun while demanding money. Instead of taking cash, he took her iPhone, Lululemon bag, and electric scooter. The robbery was captured on video, according to prosecutors.
Following the incident, police tracked the victim’s phone to the 600 block of West Hubbard, where they apprehended Cortez after he attempted to hide in a nearby tent upon seeing the officers.
Cortez has been involved in several other criminal cases within the past year, including charges of reckless conduct and possessing a replica firearm. He had been on electronic monitoring until April 8, when a narcotics case against him was dropped by the state. All other charges, including two retail thefts and another narcotics charge, were also dismissed by prosecutors.
