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Man Wields Knife, Gun During West Town Robbery Spree, Prosecutors Say

By Erica Demarest | September 18, 2015 6:24am
 Christopher Pratile, 30, has been charged in a string of West Town robberies from early August.
Christopher Pratile, 30, has been charged in a string of West Town robberies from early August.
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DNAinfo; Cook County Sheriff's Office

COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — A Wicker Park man has been charged with two more attacks in an apparent West Town robbery spree that spanned a week in early August.

Christopher Pratile, 30, was charged last month with trying to steal a man's cellphone on Aug. 3 and successfully robbing a woman at knifepoint on Aug. 6. With bail set at $350,000, he's been in Cook County Jail awaiting trial since Aug. 11.

Pratile was back in front of a judge Thursday — this time accused of robbing two people at gunpoint on Aug. 2 and 9.

In the first incident, Pratile approached a woman as she unlocked the entry gate to her home in the 2100 block of West Huron Street on Aug. 2, according to Assistant State's Attorney Erin Antonietti.

The woman heard Pratile say something before he pulled a gun and took her cellphone, purse, ID, sunglasses and cash, court records show.

The woman later identified Pratile in a line-up, Antonietti said, and her stolen items were recovered. Pratile admitted to the robbery, she added.

In the Aug. 9 incident, Pratile is accused of attacking a man who was looking down reading text messages as he walked in the 1600 block of West Cortez Street.

Pratile hit the man in the chest, pointed a gun at him and took his cellphone and wallet, Antonietti said. The victim later identified Pratile in a photo array, she added, and Pratile admitted to the robbery.

Pratile, of the 1400 block of North Ashland Avenue, was charged with two counts of armed robbery with a firearm. Cook County Judge Laura Sullivan on Thursday set bail for these charges at $350,000. If Pratile were to post bond, he would now need $70,000 — or 10 percent of the new total: $700,000.

The Florida native appeared in bond court twice in August.

The first time was on Aug. 4 when he was charged with an attempted robbery that happened Aug. 3 — just one day after the first gunpoint attack.

In the Aug. 3 incident, Pratile is accused of trying to steal a man's phone in the 1600 block of West Cortez Street. After the botched attack, the victim followed Pratile and pointed him out to police. He was promptly arrested. There was no known weapon in that case, and Pratile was released on his own recognizance after an Aug. 4 court appearance.

He would return to the Leighton Criminal Courthouse on Aug. 11 — two days after the final gunpoint attack.

On that day, Pratile was charged with robbing a woman at knifepoint and slicing her in both arms on Aug. 6. He was arrested several days later when police caught him using the victim's credit cards. A judge set bond at $350,000 and Pratile has been in jail ever since.

His public defender said Pratile worked in the restaurant industry and has an associate's degree from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts.

He now has three pending felony cases: one for attempted robbery and two for armed robbery (the knifepoint incident is a standalone case, while the two gunpoint attacks were filed as a single case).

Pratile also has a pending misdemeanor case for retail theft. According to an arrest report, he was picked up on July 30 at a Jewel-Osco, 2550 N. Clybourn Ave., after he put four bottles of Glenlivet in his backpack and tried to walk out without paying.

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