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Burglary Suspect in Leg Shackles Walks Out of Hospital, Makes it Downtown

By Erin Meyer | September 16, 2014 4:17pm | Updated on September 17, 2014 8:32am
 Vernon Martin, 55, escaped Mercy Hospital in shackles after he was arrested for burglarizing two South Loop businesses, prosecutors said.
Vernon Martin, 55, escaped Mercy Hospital in shackles after he was arrested for burglarizing two South Loop businesses, prosecutors said.
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Flickr/Eric Allix Rogers and Chicago Police Department

COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — An alleged burglar shackled by police escaped authorities when he slipped out of a Bronzeville hospital, prosecutors said.

Arrested early Monday for allegedly burglarizing Bull Chicks and Chef Luciano restaurants in the South Loop, 55-year-old Vernon Martin was taken to Mercy Hospital when he complained of health problems, Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Lorraine Scaduto said.

As soon as the doctor and police weren't looking, Martin walked out of the hospital still wearing shackles around his ankles, Scaduto said. 

Martin, also known as Vernon Pickett according to a police report, is charged with two counts of burglary for breaking into Bulls Chicks, 606 S. Wabash Avenue, on Sept. 1, and Chef Luciano's, 49 E. Cermak Street, on Sept. 14. 

 Vernon Martin, 55, escaped Mercy Hospital in shackles after he was arrested for burglarizing two South Loop businesses, prosecutors said. 
Vernon Martin, 55, escaped Mercy Hospital in shackles after he was arrested for burglarizing two South Loop businesses, prosecutors said. 
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Chicago Police Department

Both break-ins were caught on video surveillance, Scaduto said.

Martin was originally caught on Monday when he asked an officer on patrol at Madison Street and Wabash Avenue, "Is the Green Line still running?" according to a police report. Having seen the video surveillance evidence, the officer recognized Martin as the robber and placed him under arrest without incident, prosecutors said.

The accused told police he "only hits restaurants and doesn't do residential" burglaries, prosecutors said. 

A short time after he was first arrested, Martin started complaining about a health problem, prosecutors said. He was shackled and taken to Mercy Hospital, 2525 S. Michigan Ave., where he was seen by a doctor. When the doctor walked out of the room, Martin "saw his opportunity to escape" and took off with shackles still clamped around his ankles, Scaduto said.

Authorities found him, still shackled at the ankle, about an hour later at 4 a.m. at 33 S. State St., according to a police report.  

On Tuesday, Martin appeared briefly in bond court on two counts of burglary and one count of escape. Cook County Judge Peggy Chiampas ordered him held on $350,000 bail.

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