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Friday Afternoon Diversion
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Aaron Pena, a 22-year veteran with the Chicago Police Department, has found himself out of a job after he was charged with stealing a bag of trail mix worth $1 at a Walgreens on West Cermak. Pena, who according to Chicago Police Board testimony was dubbed the "Mayor of 26th Street" by local residents, is alleged to have been caught on security video going into the store to purchase two bags of trail mix, then returning for a third which he did not pay for. Pena admits that he did leave without paying, but not on purpose -- it had simply "slipped [his] mind."
Pena testified that he had opened one bag and thought it was so good he wanted a third. But he said that as he walked to the front of the store to pay, he became concerned that he couldn't hear his radio. He said he forgot about the extra bag when he went outside.Pena blames his bout of forgetfulness on a stroke he had in 2005, which he says "occasionally left him 'unfocused'." If what Pena says is true, and he appeared distracted or rushed, we're surprised a clerk didn't casually "remind" him that he hadn't paid. Maybe it has something to do with two similar incidents involving Pena the city's attorney alluded to that happened at the same Walgreens. Pena also was in hot water for not reporting to a dispatcher that he was leaving a crime scene to go on his little snack run. But that seems like a minor infraction, and since Pena was acquitted of the misdemeanor theft and the other two are unsubstantiated reports, does he really deserve to lose his badge? Seems like there's another layer to this story that has yet to be reported. [Trib, Photo by bastique]
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Clearly there is no other layer to this story execpt another cop has been victimized by the man. The fact that that residents called him the Mayor of 26th Street, I'm sure meant that he used his police powers for the good of the citizentry as oppossed to being yet another thug with a badge, like the women cop who continued to shake down the starbucks
That's really sad...and on the surface it looks like he got fired over a bag of trail mix, but if he keeps 'forgetting' little things like this...is he really fit to be a cop?
So the cop who threatened people with arrest over coffee gets a suspension and this guy gets fired for a mix up over mixed nuts? Yeah, there's something going on here.
I wouldn't be surprised if it's a money thing frankly. He's been on medical (the stroke) and near retirement (pension) so they take a hard line on the older guy and save some bank.
Though, if the guy had a stroke and was having confused moments he shouldn't have been on the street at the start.
eluded to?
Alluded. Alluded.
Sorry, my personal copy editor called in sick. Probably hung over from the Pumpkins show.
My guess is that there is more to this story than what we are reading. What else has this officer done? Were there other incidents like this? Is there some unrelated improper activity in which he was involved and this event is the just the last straw?
Or is there video of the event that shows him clearly being secretive? Just wondering.
He thought he'd get away, but Walgreens employees were hot on his trail (mix).
*this thing on?*
Be here all week folks...
At least he was taking healthy snax.
Here's the story: Cop has a stroke that may or may not have been debilitating, then insists upon going to work instead of retiring or taking time off. He acts erratically, forgets things, and then this happens and the department sees its chance to avoid paying any kind of medical care, disability, or pension.
Speaking as someone who doesn't know a damned thing about this and is therefore talking out his ass, I'd say he wasn't equipped to come back to work and should have stayed home.
BeeRockaFeller -- is awesome!