Two Chicago Men Sentenced to Prison for New Year’s Day Robbery
Two Chicago men who prosecutors say slammed a 58-year-old man to the ground during a New Year’s Day robbery and then tried to escape on the CTA Brown Line have now been sentenced to prison.
Kobe Lee, 21, and Felix Lopez, 20, targeted the man shortly after he left a restaurant in Albany Park around 10 p.m. on January 1, 2024. When they reached the 4800 block of North Troy Street, the robbers allegedly picked the man up and body-slammed him onto the sidewalk, causing his head to smack against the concrete, prosecutors said.
According to detention petitions filed in the case, Lee and Lopez rifled through the victim’s pockets for valuables. When he tried to resist, they repeatedly punched him in the head and face before walking away, leaving him on the ground.
A witness, who called 911, followed the pair and gave police detailed descriptions — including one suspect’s distinctive Scooby Doo jacket.
Chicago police officers found Lee and Lopez about 40 minutes later on the Kedzie Brown Line platform. Lee was wearing the cartoon-covered jacket, and Lopez matched the description of the second robber. Prosecutors said the victim immediately identified them as the attackers.
Court records show Lopez had been released from custody just two days earlier after being charged with shoplifting at Macy’s on State Street. Lee had been paroled six months earlier after serving half of a three-year sentence for possessing a stolen motor vehicle.
On Monday, Lopez pleaded guilty to robbery and received a four-year sentence from Judge Michael Hood. Lee pleaded guilty earlier this year to robbery and aggravated battery in exchange for a five-year sentence from Hood. Both men will serve about half of their sentences before being eligible for parole.
