Evanston police say an officer on routine patrol early this morning stopped a car in the 1400 block of Grove Street that turned out to have been stolen.
Cmdr. Joseph Dugan says the driver of the car, identified as Richard A. Bevacqua, 33, of 1927 Church St. in Evanston, initially gave the officer a false name and date of birth.
It turned out, Dugan says, that his driver’s license had been revoked. He also wasn’t able to give the officer any information on the owner of the vehicle and a search of his person revealed a large amount of loose change.
The owner of the vehicle, an Evanston resident, was contacted and upon checking, discovered that the vehicle had been stolen from the 1400 block of Asbury Avenue after being left unlocked with a spare key in the center console.
Cook County States Attorney felony review was contacted and rejected felony charges against Bevacqua, but he was charged with misdemeanor counts of criminal trespass to vehicle, obstructing identification and driving with a revoked license.
So what does it take ?
“Cook County States Attorney felony review was contacted and rejected felony charges against Bevacqua…”
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What does it take to get felony charges filed against an obvious criminal with him caught with the property ?
Sure the owner was dumb to leave the keys, but would parking the car in your drive way be an excuse not to press charges if it was stolen since you “left it in plain sight.”
No wonder criminals don’t worry about getting caught. It is “catch and release”—maybe after a slap on the wrist.
That’s the way it works
That's the way it works in Cook County to the frustration of the police. It seems that the ASAs don't want to take a felony case where they might have to work. Of course, the suspect could say a friend or some guy lent him the car. With a large amount of small change on him, it seems he was a car burglar who hit the jackpot when he found the spare keys in the center console. Probably a door shaker going down the street looking for unlocked doors….
LOCK YOUR CAR EACH AND EVERY TIME YOU LEAVE IT!
No felony?
I'm confused! I thought stealing a car was a felony?
It’s a non-violent crime.
It’s a non-violent crime. Cook Co has too much on their plate with the murders and the drugs. In order to charge felony grand theft auto, proof that the offender planned to permanently deprive the owner of the vehicle has to be there. Pretty hard to prove. The fine print of the law isn’t always logical.