Federal prosecutors have filed Hobbs Act robbery and firearm charges against Maykel Gonzalez Demaria, a 19-year-old Venezuelan national previously flagged as inadmissible at the U.S. border, after he allegedly pulled a gun on a man selling a MacBook through Facebook Marketplace in Lakeview on August 5. Police say the victim met Demaria near West Belmont Avenue to complete a $550 sale, only for Demaria to produce a firearm from his car and force him to hand over the laptop before driving off; the victim's photo of the getaway car's license plate led officers to the vehicle near Lincoln Park Zoo within minutes, where they recovered the stolen laptop along with a firearm and several other electronics. Demaria now faces federal charges upgraded from the original state case and remains held in Cook County Jail.
Read the original report at CWBChicago.