Teen whose city sticker was disqualified arrested in stolen van

A Logan Square teenager who first made headlines in 2012 when he designed the winning city sticker, only to have it pulled over concerns it contained gang signs, was arrested Tuesday for driving a stolen van.

Herbert Pulgar, 18, of the 3100 block of West Logan Boulevard was charged with felony possession of a stolen motor vehicle and also faces several traffic citations, according to Chicago Police.

About 3:40 a.m. Tuesday, officers spotted the driver of a Chevrolet Astro van commit a minor traffic violation, police said. They ran the license plate and discovered the van had been reported stolen.

Officers tried to pull the van over, and the driver tried to run away but was arrested, police said.

In 2011, when Pulgar was a 15-year-old freshman at Lawrence Hall Youth Services, he submitted the winning design for Chicago’s 2012-13 city sticker contest, the Sun-Times reported at the time.

However, in early 2012, City Clerk Susana Mendoza pulled the design after authorities said some of its elements resembled gang signs.

In court Wednesday, Judge Peggy Chiampas ordered Pulgar released on electronic monitoring.

Herbert Pulgar with Rahm Emanuel and his winning city sticker design in 2012. | Sun-Times photo