Social Media Riot Threats Preceded Old Orchard Mall Fortification

SKOKIE, IL — On the final weekend of last month, Skokie police alerted a law enforcement mutual aid network about social media posts suggesting the threat of looting at Old Orchard shopping center. The mall survived unscathed, and the only adult arrested by the village in connection with several of days of civil unrest in the Chicago area was a man with a warrant who officers reported catching in the act of burglarizing a post office, records show.

More than two dozen north and northwest suburban and college police department were notified of posts discussing "possible riot activity" through the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System around 10:30 p.m. on May 30 — the first night of a curfew declared in Chicago in response to widespread property damage and theft that began in the city's Magnificent Mile shopping district before spreading to other areas of the city and suburbs.

"They talm bout riot at 12 at old orchard mall but u ain't hear it from me," one social media user said in a post distributed to suburban police.

"Curfew started due to riots, Now they are posting to go to old orchard mall to loot," said another.

"Antifa is apparently staging at Devon [Avenue and] Milwaukee ave," a Skokie police commander said in a text message exchange with a deputy chief, warning of three reports on Snapchat of an impending riot at Old Orchard.

The commander said multiple people sent him copies of the same (below) image, according to screenshots of the exchange obtained by Patch.

Later that night, a suburban SWAT team was mobilized, and more than 100 officers assembled at the mall to defend against what the chief of a neighboring department would later describe as a credible threat of "over 300 looters."

While there was never a curfew declared in Skokie, local police periodically asked Illinois State Police to close down the exit ramp from the Edens Expressway at Old Orchard Road over the first week of the month.

There were three incident reports regarding burglary, theft or looting in Skokie over the final hours of May and early hours of June 1, according to responses to public records requests from the village. Two of them involved the arrests of juveniles. The other concerned the arrest of Fontaine Rodriguez, a 44-year-old resident of Chicago's East Garfield Park neighborhood.

Police were called to the post office at 4950 Madison Ave. shortly after 1 a.m. for multiple calls about someone breaking the glass and entering through the rear of the building, Officer John Veenhuis reported. Peering through a small window on the back door by the loading docks, he reported seeing Rodriguez walking around inside and opening packages.

One witness told police they saw a man throw a trash can through the back window of the post office. Another saw a man with something large in his hands enter through a broken window, according to police. It did not appear the incident was captured on camera or set off any alarms.

At the time of his arrest, Rodriguez had an active warrant for a probation violation in connection with a criminal damage to property conviction, according to the officers who arrested him. Veenhuis reported Rodriguez admitted he broke in, began to go "through little stuff" and "opened some stuff up."

Rodriguez was charged with burglary and remained held without bail at Cook County Jail as of Wednesday evening. He is due back in court July 2 on a separate charge and July 10 on the Skokie charge, according to the Cook County Sheriff's office.

Patch has requested additional Skokie police records of incidents from the final weekend of May, which the village is due to provide by Tuesday.

Earlier: Over 300 Looters At Old Orchard Was 'Credible Threat': Police