CHICAGO — A man notorious for knocking out 20 of a woman's teeth in a 2008 attack was arrested again Monday, and this time his alleged weapon of choice was an umbrella.
Officers found Derrick King swinging two umbrellas he had allegedly stolen when they responded to a call at the Jewel supermarket, 1224 S. Wabash Ave., at about 10:30 p.m., according to police. A manager told police King pushed a woman before grabbing the umbrellas and leaving the store without paying; the manager was following King, according to police.
King was charged with retail theft and reckless conduct. In the past he has been arrested for a variety of charges, including misdemeanor assault and criminal trespassing. Cook County Judge Adam Bourgeois Jr. set his bail at $100,000 Tuesday afternoon.
King, who has a history of arrests dating back to 1990, gained notoriety for an August 2008 attack at the same Jewel at which he was arrested Monday. In that instance, King attacked Jennifer Hall — knocking out her teeth — after she refused to give him a cigarette. He was charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery and robbery. He pleaded guilty to reduced charges of two counts of robbery and the other charges were dismissed.
He was sentenced to three years in prison, but was paroled 18 days after his plea as part of an early-release program, according to the Chicago Tribune. King was given credit for serving about 13 months in Cook County Jail.
Shortly after being released, in October 2009, King was arrested after threatening a woman near the South Loop Jewel, saying, "Remember the couple who got beat real bad for not giving a cigarette? That was me," according to the Tribune. He was sentenced to three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
