By Marci Laehr Tenuta
Journal Times | Posted: Monday, October 6, 2008 12:00 am
RACINE COUNTY - An Illinois man who allegedly wielded a sledgehammer during a robbery last February is now facing 40 years in prison - all over a leather jacket.
Jaime E. Parada, 20, of Waukegan, Ill., was charged in Racine County Circuit Court on Friday with party to the crime of armed robbery with the threat of force.
According to a criminal complaint, Parada helped his friend - who has also been charged - rob a man of his red leather coat in the 7 Mile Fair parking lot. He is accused of taking a sledgehammer from the bed of his pickup truck and cornering the victim until he gave up his jacket.
Reports said Racine County sheriff's deputies were called to 7 Mile Fair, 2720 W. 7 Mile Road, on Feb. 3 for a report of a robbery. The victim told deputies two suspects had just taken his coat from him by force.
The man said he was pulling into the parking lot when a white pickup truck was pulling out. After parking, he got out of his SUV and started walking. The pickup parked directly behind his SUV, and the passenger got out and walked toward him. The suspect grabbed the victim's jacket, trying to pull it off and told the man to give him the coat, reports said.
The victim said he tried to walk around the truck to get away from the suspect. Then the driver of the pickup got out and took a full sledgehammer from the bed of the truck. The two suspects cornered the victim, who then took off his jacket.
The man told deputies the suspects got back in their truck and drove off.
In April, police from the Village of Gurnee Police Department in Illinois were called to a movie theater by a couple who said a man in the theater was wearing their son's coat, which had been robbed from him in Racine County.
Police spoke with the 18-year-old man wearing the unique red leather coat with red and white striped sleeves. Initially the man - Noe Trevino of Monterey, Tenn. - said he had bought the coat at a flea market in Tennessee. Later he said he had the coat customized.
Trevino was arrested after the victim's father gave a very detailed description of the coat lining and size. Trevino was then picked out of a photo lineup by the victim as being the passenger in the pickup truck who robbed him.
Parada was then interviewed and admitted to being the driver of the pickup truck who was with Trevino during the robbery.
Arrest warrants were filed for both Parada and Trevino in April. Trevino was taken into custody here in July on the charge of armed robbery with the threat of force. Parada was charged in court Friday.