19-Year-Old Alicia Gines Escapes Police Custody
CHICAGO (CBS)—A 19-year-old woman accused of robbery is on the run from the law again after walking away from police custody, but police on Friday said they're confident they'll find her soon.
Alicia Gines first went missing in September, but was caught earlier this week. Gines was charged in September 2017 with felony aggravated battery and robbery in the Pilsen neighborhood.
Police said Gines exited a Honda on the 2000 block of South Halsted Street around 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 18 and began hitting and kicking a 22-year-old woman walking down the sidewalk before taking her phone.
Gines was charged and put on electronic monitoring while awaiting trial -- but the county says she violated that bond -- and disappeared.
Today, Gines was waiting for her court hearing to begin at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse around 10:45 a.m. when the Cook County Sheriff's department says she slipped out of her restraints and dashed out the door.
It's unclear how she was able to get away. She hasn't been seen since.
Cara Smith, the Cook County Sheriff's chief policy officer, said investigators are looking into many things, including whether the teen's restraints didn't work.
"This is certainly a failure of security--absolutely--(and) this isn't how things are supposed to go," Smith said. "We'll investigate how it was permitted to happen and take whatever actions are necessary."
The Cook County Sheriff's office advises calling 911 if you see Gines.
