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Man Charged In Brutal Bike Theft Attempt And Logan Knife Robbery

By Alisa Hauser | April 17, 2017 7:49pm
 Orlando Soto, 54, was charged with one misdemeanor count of Aggravated Assault/Use of a Deadly Weapon and one felony count of Armed Robbery from two different incidents, police said.
Orlando Soto, 54, was charged with one misdemeanor count of Aggravated Assault/Use of a Deadly Weapon and one felony count of Armed Robbery from two different incidents, police said.
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Chicago Police Dept. (Mugshot); Tico's Auto Repair (Facebook)

LOGAN SQUARE — A 54-year-old accused of swinging a chunk of concrete at another man while trying to steal his bike Saturday night is also charged with robbing an auto shop with a knife, police said.

Orlando Soto, 54, was arrested around 7:15 p.m. on Saturday in the 3000 block of West Diversey after he was seen stealing a bicycle belonging to a 29-year-old man, according to Officer Thomas Sweeney, a Chicago Police spokesman.

When the bike's owner "confronted Soto," he then swung a piece of concrete at the victim, police said.

The bike owner was able to detain Soto until officers arrived. Soto was then identified as the offender from an armed robbery on April 3, police said.

William "Tico" Salas, owner of Tico Auto Repair at 2844 N. Kedzie Ave., said that Soto came into his shop on April 3, around 6:55 p.m.

"He asked for $5 and I said, 'No, I don't have any money." He got into my office and pulled out a knife. He took $55. It was the second time it happened. He took $30 in my pocket two weeks before, in March," Salas said.

Salas said his left ear and one of his fingers was cut and his arm was bruised in the April 3 armed robbery, but he did not require stitches or hospitalization.

"It was more like a struggle. Everything happened so fast, that I didn't feel it when he cut me," Salas said.

Salas said that when he saw the man again after the first robbery in March, which he did not report to police, he said, "I don't want to see you around, get out of here."

Salas said he was unaware of how Soto was found by police. 

"All I know is they caught him Saturday. People like that are not supposed to be in the streets," Salas said, adding that he has seen the man around the neighborhood for the past six years.

Sweeney said that in the April 3 incident, police responded to a call from the auto shop, where a 63- year-old male related that a known male entered the business, displayed a knife and demanded money. 

Soto was charged with one misdemeanor count of aggravated assault/use of a deadly weapon from Saturday's incident with the bike owner and one felony count of armed robbery from the April 3 incident, Sweeney said.

Janet De La Torre, a spokeswoman for the Cook County Sheriff's Office, said on Monday that Soto is currently in jail and held without bond for violation of probation and is set to appear before a judge on Tuesday morning.

Additionally, Soto has an April 21 bond court date for the armed robbery at the auto shop. He was held in that incident on a $250,000 bond, De La Torre said.