Man Charged With Robbing Magnificent Mile Department Store At Gunpoint, Stealing Ring From Nearby Jeweler
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A felon with a history of burglary and theft convictions has been charged with robbing a Magnificent Mile department store at gunpoint in January, and then snatching a ring from an employee's hand at a jewelry store on the same block nearly a month later.
Todd Howe, 51, of Elmwood, has been charged with one count of armed robbery and one count of theft.
Police said, shortly before noon on Jan. 24, he walked into a department store on the 900 block of North Michigan Avenue, pointed a gun at a male employee, and stole several items.
Around 1:50 p.m. on Feb. 23, Howe allegedly went into a jewelry store on the same block, and while being shown a ring, grabbed it from an employee's hand and ran out of the store.
A fugitive apprehension team arrested Howe Thursday morning in Cicero. He was due to appear in bond court Friday afternoon.
Police said Howe is a convicted felon, but did not provide details of his criminal history. According to Illinois Department of Corrections records, he is on parole for a 2016 retail theft charge, for which he was sentenced to 3 years in prison. IDOC records also show previous convictions for burglary, retail theft, criminal damage to state property, aggravated fleeing, attempted aggravated carjacking, and stalking; dating back as far as 1990.