Natalia Chi
CHICAGO — A Tennessee fugitive was arrested after he committed two armed robberies in the North and Chicago police tracked his movements to a casino, officials said Thursday. However, his lawyers say he is a “self-proclaimed man of faith.”
26-year-old Timothy Lewis wore a mask during the robbery, but investigators identified him from license plates, GPS, ID scans at the casino, and the eccentric decision to wear mismatched shoes. .
Prosecutors said they held a liquor store on Block 1400 in West Devon at gunpoint around 11:00 pm on November 12 and stole about $1,200, a six-pack of Modelo and a pack of Newports. Video from the store showed the robber wearing Birkenstock sandals, a tattoo on the back of his hand and a unique bracelet. However, he also wore a mask, which made identification difficult.
Three days later, he robbed a woman at gunpoint in the 1900 block in West Peterson, taking a necklace and about $450, prosecutors said. The video showed the robber wearing a mask, dressed the same as the liquor store robber, and wearing Jordan gym shoes with white soles.
Investigators have located the car that the robbers may have used and determined that the license plate was registered to Lewis. After that, I pinged into an unidentified casino.
Video from the casino allegedly showed Lewis getting out of the suspect’s car, wearing Birkenstock sandals and white-soled Jordan sneakers, presenting identification and entering the venue.
When police arrested Lewis at a motel this week, he was wearing signature bracelets, Birkenstock sandals, and white-soled Jordan sneakers. Prosecutors say he also has a tattoo on his hand. Police found about $3,000 in his motel room.
Prosecutors said he was wanted in Tennessee on burglary charges. He was also convicted of counterfeiting in Mississippi in 2011. He is currently indicted on his two counts of armed robbery with a firearm in Chicago.
Still, his public defender said he was a lifelong Cook County resident, supported three children, and was a “self-proclaimed man of faith.”
Judge Kelly McCarthy held him without bail on a Tennessee warrant. If the warrant issue is resolved, he will need to throw in $15,000 to get out of jail on electronic surveillance of new cases.
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