Prosecutors: Footprints in snow led cops to pair who stole candy

A man and a teenager accused of pointing a gun at a Southwest Side gas station clerk before stealing candy Sunday morning were arrested after police followed their footprints in the snow.

Ricardo Moreno, 19, and a 15-year-old boy each face one count of armed robbery and had a warrant out for their arrest, according to Chicago Police. The teen was also charged with unlawful use of weapon and possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number.

On Monday, Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil ordered both of them held on a $300,000 bond.

Moreno and the boy robbed the Citgo gas station at 2706 W. 51st St. about 6:45 a.m., Assistant State’s Attorney Jeanne Kolasa said at the bond hearing.

Moreno held the door open and stood as a lookout, while the teen went inside and pointed a revolver at the clerk, Kolasa said. The employee was able to hide beneath a counter, behind bullet-proof glass and call police.

The teen grabbed some candy, then both suspects ran to Moreno’s apartment in the 5000 block of South Talman where they hid the gun, Kolasa said. Police were able to track their snowy footprints and recover the weapon, while the clerk positively identified both robbers.

Both suspects later made written statements admitting their involvement in the robbery, and the incident was captured on the gas station’s surveillance cameras, Kolasa said.

Moreno, a junior at Second Chance High School, was on parole at the time for a September 2014 conviction for possession of a controlled substance, prosecutors said. The 15-year-old was convicted of attempted robbery and sentenced to one year of probation in July 2014 and has another robbery case pending against him.