Traffic stop leads to arrest in Aurora robbery

A 23-year-old Aurora man has been charged with aggravated robbery in connection with last month’s holdup of a 7-Eleven convenience on Aurora’s far East Side.

Nikko Tooley, of the 1000 block of North Farnsworth Ave., was arrested following a traffic stop by a Batavia police officer last Wednesday.

The officer recalled description of the suspect vehicle involved in the robbery and notified Aurora police. An Aurora police officer responded and Tooley was arrested and taken into custody without incident.

The 7-Eleven store on the 600 block of South Frontenac Ave. was robbed around 6:45 p.m. on Jan. 24 after a person entered the store and produced a replica handgun, demanding money from a store clerk.

According to an Aurora Police statement, the clerk surrendered an undisclosed amount of cash and left the store on foot. Video surveillance cameras in the area showed a person identified as Tooley then fleeing the area in the suspect vehicle.

Cooley was charged last Thursday by the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s office with bond set at $150,000.

Gang member faces prison for gun threat to officer

An Aurora gang member is facing prison after being convicted for unlawfully possessing a handgun and pointing it at an Aurora police officer.

Erik J. Esparza, 20, of the 3N block of East Mary Lane, St. Charles, was convicted by a Kane County jury last week unlawful possession of a firearm by a street gang member, a Class 2 felony, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, a Class 2 felony, and aggravated assault, a Class A misdemeanor.

Prosecutors said that in an incident last July two Aurora police officers working undercover in the vicinity of Parker Avenue and Pearl Street on Aurora’s near east side saw Esparza and a co-defendant. The defendants, both street gang members, were acting suspiciously. As the undercover vehicle approached the defendants to investigate, Esparza raised a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun and pointed it directly at one of the officers. The officer, fearing for his life, then fired two shots at Esparza. No one was hit.

Esparza and the co-defendant immediately fled on foot. The co-defendant was captured near the scene. Police found Esparza lying in weeds between two garages in the 300 block of East Ashland Avenue about 1½ hours later.

Monthly ‘Ask a Lawyer’ session this Saturday

The Kane County Bar Association will conduct  the latest “Ask A Lawyer Days” via phone conference  this Saturday.

“Ask a Lawyer Days” are held on the second Saturday of each month. Many callers are helped with legal problems regarding issues including real estate, landlord/tenant, criminal, estates and wills, divorce, child custody, collections, bankruptcy and traffic.

Members of the public are encouraged to call 630-762-1900 between the hours of 9 a.m. and noon for a free consultation with a volunteer attorney. There is a very high call volume and volunteers are not able to retrieve messages left on the voice mail, so callers are asked to keep trying if the phone lines are busy.

This public information service sponsored by the Kane County Bar Association and supported by the Illinois State Bar Association is a great opportunity to ask questions and find direction for any legal matters you may have.

Bricks fall from shuttered Elgin Tower Building

A man posted on an Elgin-oriented Facebook page posted photos last week of bricks on the street in that apparently fell from upper levels of the shuttered downtown Elgin Tower Building. Photos also included empty on the building’s facade where bricks and concrete originated.

According to reports, the pieces came from the seventh floor facade and fell onto the sidewalk inside a fenced in area in front of the 15-story historic building, built in 1929 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Negotiations are reportedly ongoing with a developer to convert the building into apartments.

–Kane County Area News Briefs–