Overview
- Edwin Herrera, 46, faces felony counts for possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of burglary tools, and possessing a stolen or altered title and registration, plus misdemeanors including animal cruelty and criminal trespass.
- The van was taken outside Animal Lovers Pet Salon on the 2200 block of North Clybourn in Lincoln Park as owner David Cox briefly stepped inside, a theft captured on surveillance video.
- Cox’s cellphone left in the van was tracked to the 1500 block of West Homer Street where it was discarded, and officers later found the vehicle in a Lakeview alley near Lakewood and Oakdale with all eight dogs inside.
- Police and charging documents describe swapped Indiana-to-Illinois license plates and a flathead screwdriver matching screws used to change the plate, with Herrera arrested nearby after a canvass.
- After an initial court appearance, Herrera was granted pretrial release with a return date next week, and the boarding business says it will implement additional safety measures.