A DuPage County judge denied pre-trial release Thursday, July 17, for a 24-year-old Chicago man charged with ripping a gold necklace off a woman's neck near the Hinsdale Metra station. Detectives tracked him across city lines and arrested him five days after the robbery.
Jesus Enrique Paredes-Castillo, with a last known address in the 3800 block of West Gladys Avenue in Chicago, faces one count of robbery in the July 10 attack, according to a DuPage County State's Attorney's Office news release.
The robbery
At approximately 6:25 p.m. on Friday, July 10, Hinsdale police responded to a 911 call in the 0-100 block of West Hinsdale Avenue, near Washington Street and the BNSF railroad tracks in the village's pedestrian corridor. The victim and three friends were seated on a bench when Paredes-Castillo allegedly approached from behind, ripped a gold rope necklace off the victim's neck and fled on foot before leaving in a gray 2015 Ford Focus, the state's attorney's office said.
The necklace is valued between $2,000 and $3,000.
The arrest
On Wednesday, July 15, Hinsdale detectives spotted Paredes-Castillo getting in and out of the same Ford Focus at a gas station in Chicago. They followed the vehicle to the West Gladys Avenue address and arrested him after a traffic stop.
"Random crimes, such as alleged in this case, destroy a community's sense of security and will not be tolerated in DuPage County," State's Attorney Robert Berlin said.
A broader pattern
The arrest may not be an isolated case. CWB Chicago, a public safety news outlet, reported Saturday, July 19, that the Hinsdale robbery bears similarities to approximately 10 daylight necklace robberies that Chicago police have warned residents about along the city's lakefront this month. Hinsdale detectives are investigating a possible connection to that pattern, according to CWB Chicago's reporting.
Whether Paredes-Castillo is a suspect in any of the Chicago cases has not been confirmed. The Chicago Police Department has not publicly named suspects in the lakefront robberies.
@CWBChicago: "A Chicago man has been detained on allegations that he violently ripped a $2,000 to $3,000 gold necklace from a woman in Hinsdale. The alleged robbery is similar to 10 necklace robberies that Chicago police have warned residents about this month."
Local reaction
Village President Greg Hart said on X on Wednesday, July 16, that the case "reflects exceptional work by Hinsdale Police Department patrol officers, detectives, and command staff." Hart's account identifies itself as non-governmental.
No Hinsdale Police Department annual crime data was available to confirm whether similar snatch-and-grab robberies have occurred previously in the downtown corridor.
Paredes-Castillo's next court appearance is scheduled for Monday, August 3, in DuPage County.
