7 more charged in connection with recent looting

Seven more people were in court Monday facing felony charges in connection to the looting spree that ravaged downtown and surrounding neighborhoods last week.

Taeshia Rochon, 22, was charged with burglary and looting after she allegedly posted livestream Facebook and YouTube videos of herself stealing two Canadian Goose jackets from Nordstrom and multiple pairs of sunglasses from Sunglass Hut on Aug. 10.

Rochon, of Markham, was ordered held on $4,000 bail.

Meanwhile, Cook County prosecutors said 25-year-old Dion Gipson was caught selling stolen merchandise on a Facebook group called “Legit Hustle.” When he scheduled a meet up to sell the items, police retrieved $3,806 worth of stolen goods from Gipson, who was also caught on surveillance video breaking into and stealing from a store on Rush Street, prosecutors said.

Gipson, who has two children and was laid off as a dishwasher because of the coronavirus pandemic, was ordered held on $5,000 bail for burglary and looting.

Gipson wasn’t the only person caught trying to sell stolen items online, prosecutors said.

Jarvell Davis, 21, and Lovely Howard, 26, were arrested Sunday after they allegedly tried selling looted merchandise to undercover cops on the online marketplace OfferUp. Officers found about $2,300 worth of looted merchandise — including a Hermes bracelet, Valentino purse and Chloe wallet — in Davis’ backpack when they met up for the exchange, prosecutors said.

Davis, who was charged with theft, looting and burglary, was ordered held on $5,000 bail. Meanwhile, Howard, who was charged with theft, was ordered held on $10,000 bail.

Crystal Williams, Kendra Mosby and Corey Sanders also appeared in court Monday on charges related to the recent theft and destruction. The three were originally charged with misdemeanors after police caught them for allegedly looting a Walgreens at 641 N. Clark St. around 3 a.m. on Aug. 10. But the state’s attorney’s office has since upgraded the charges to burglary and looting.

Williams was ordered held on $4,000 bail while Mosby and Sanders’ bails were set at $5,000 and $1,000, respectively.

Chicago police said the looting that took place the night of Aug. 9 and into the next morning stemmed from rumors after officers shot and wounded 20-year-old Latrell Allen in Englewood.

Police said officers shot Allen after he fired at them several times. Allen was charged with attempted murder.

Rochon, Davis, Howard, Williams, Mosby and Sanders are expected back in court on Aug. 24. Gipson is due back in court on Aug. 25.