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Chicago Man Charged in Gunpoint Thefts of Anime Card Sellers Lured Online

A detention hearing will determine whether the suspect stays in custody.

Overview

  • Anthony Garcia, 23, faces five counts of armed robbery with a firearm and is scheduled for a detention hearing in Cook County Criminal Court.
  • Police say he replied to online ads for anime trading cards, steered sellers to a building lobby in Gage Park, and took the cards at gunpoint.
  • All reported robberies were in the 5200 and 5300 blocks of South Kedzie Avenue in Gage Park, and the victims were men ages 19 to 29.
  • The Citywide Robbery Task Force arrested Garcia near his home in the 5300 block of South Troy Street after a string of March incidents.
  • Citing the case, Chicago police urge buyers and sellers from social media marketplaces to meet at a police station or other monitored site.