COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — The man charged with grabbing and forcibly kissing an Edgewater runner failed to appear for his trial Tuesday.
Despite objections from prosecutors, Ilyas Jama, 33, was released on his own recognizance on Sept. 3, pending trial. He missed a Sept. 10 court call for a pending reckless-conduct case, and was once again absent Tuesday — this time for the battery trial in which he's accused of attacking a 32-year-old runner.
Warrants for Jama's arrest were issued on Sept. 10 and again Tuesday.
Liz, the woman who claims Jama grabbed and kissed her as she finished an afternoon jog in early August, said she was "a little annoyed" by Jama's absence but not surprised.
"What actually bothers me is how easily he's been able to bail out after getting arrested so many times, and with some pretty scary accusations leveled against him," said Liz, who asked only to be referred to by her first name.
"I understand the idea of 'innocent until proven guilty,' but shouldn't the fact he's been arrested multiple times in such a short amount of time be taken into account when it comes to holding him while he awaits trial?" asked Liz, who said she hasn't seen Jama around the neighborhood lately.
Jama first made headlines in early August when he allegedly attacked and forcibly kissed Liz on Devon Avenue about 5:15 p.m. on Aug. 5.
In a split-second decision fueled by adrenaline and shock, Liz chased Jama several blocks before coming face-to-face with him on Broadway. She snapped a photo and shared her story on EveryBlock after two women on the scene told Liz they'd had problems similar with Jama, Liz said.
Since then, a number of locals have taken to social media to lob complaints against Jama, alleging various forms of street harassment.
Jama was arrested at least four times in August and charged in four separate misdemeanor cases, court records show.
One case, an assault, was dropped after the alleged victim failed to appear for court. She told DNAinfo Chicago she couldn't find a babysitter. In that case, Jama is accused of threatening to sexually assault a woman and murder her husband. The victim claims Jama harassed her in front of her young children for weeks.
A second case, trespassing at a restaurant, led to a conviction in early August. Jama was sentenced to one year of court supervision.
Two cases are still pending: a reckless-conduct case in which Jama is accused of drinking vodka in the street and running into traffic, and the battery case involving the runner.
Liz said she arrived at court Tuesday prepared to testify against Jama.
After allowing extra time for Jama to show, Cook County Judge Clarence Lewis Burch dismissed Liz and issued a warrant for Jama.
Jama is next slated to appear in court in October.
During his most recent court appearance, on Sept. 3, Jama testified that he's unemployed and doesn't have money or a place to stay. He told a judge that he has three children — ages 5, 4 and 2 — who live in Somalia.
Jama also testified that he's an American citizen. Of the four arrest reports attached to Jama's case files, two list his place of birth as Somalia, one lists Illinois and one lists Tennessee.
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