Man in ICE custody charged with 6 robberies in Chicago, suburbs

A man who has been deported from the United States twice was indicted last week for six robberies in Chicago and several suburbs since December.

Jose Cruz Morales-Cortes, 45, was indicted on six counts of robbery on Aug. 1, according to a statement from the FBI.

Morales-Cortes, of Gary, Indiana, was deported for being in the country illegally on March 26, 2004 and again on Aug. 29, 2016, the FBI said. He was caught in the country again on Jan 20, 2017, and was in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement when he was indicted for the robberies.

According to the indictment, Morales-Cortes is accused of robberies on the following dates at the following businesses:

• Dec. 17, 2016, at El Coyote, 11532 S. Pulaski Road in Alsip;
• Dec. 26, 2016, at El Chisme Express, 5955 S. Pulaski Road in Chicago;
• Dec. 27, 2016, at Taqueria Los Gallos, 4252 S. Archer Ave.;
• Dec. 30, 2016, at Nuevo Mexico, 1920 Mannheim Road in Des Plaines;
• Jan. 2 at El Mariachi, 18329 Torrence Ave. in Lansing; and
• Jan. 3 at Taco’s and Burrito’s Rancho Grande, 3444 Rodge Road in Lansing.

He was also indicted on one count of being in the U.S. without permission from the Department of Homeland Security after having been deported in the past, the FBI said.