Smartphone Technology Leads To Arrest In Bucktown Rape
Updated 02/25/13 - 10:40 a.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Smartphone technology helped police track down and arrest a 16-year-old boy who allegedly raped a woman in her Bucktown home over the weekend.
Marcos Cervantes was charged as an adult with home invasion, aggravated vehicular hijacking, criminal sexual assault, and aggravated kidnapping in the attack. Cervantes, who was previously a ward of the state, was ordered held without bond Monday.
Police say he broke into a home in the 2100 block of West Moffat Street at about 1:15 p.m. on Sunday and sexually assaulted a 43-year-old woman at gunpoint.
Woman Raped In Bucktown
After the attack, he allegedly took her smartphone, and forced her into her own car, then drove her to Western Avenue and Hirsch Street, and let her out. Prosecutors say after he released the victim he drove a friend's house and bragged he had a car.
Police were able to use the woman's smartphone to track down the suspect, and arrest him near Western Avenue and Roosevelt Road at about 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
The victim was treated and released from a local hospital.
The attack left Bucktown residents shaken. One longtime resident said there has been a recent uptick in robberies in the area.
"It's, I find to be, very unnerving that someone will come into a home in broad daylight, and do something such as that," Bucktown resident Dan Bell said. "It is very disturbing."
Erica Feliz, who lives a few doors down from the victim, said it's a quiet block, and the attack makes her nervous.
"You never expect that kind of crime, especially here," she said. "I went home, and immediately made sure all my windows were locked; and now, I lock my door every time I'm in the apartment, and outside of it."
Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) praised the police department for quickly tracking down the suspect. But he has been outspoken with Police Supt. Garry McCarthy about making sure there are enough officers patrolling the area.
"This is pretty brazen, this was definitely over the top, and shows a little bit of the lawlessness that's taking place," Waguespack said. "What happens in the rest of the city means a lot to us as well. We don't like to see this kind of thing going on. The fact that a lot of police are getting pulled to other more violent portions of the city is also disturbing."
Cervantes, the suspect, has a long criminal history, authorities said. He cried as he was being led from court Monday.
