22-year Chicago police veteran fired over $1 bag of trail mix [View All]

[BlueJessamine]

Source: Chicago Tribune

A 22-year veteran Chicago police officer was fired last month over charges he stole a $1 bag of trail mix from Walgreens.

Aaron Pena was known as the "mayor of 26th Street" by residents in the Ogden District for his helpfulness in the community, according to testimony before the Chicago Police Board released Wednesday.

City attorneys alleged that Pena went to the Walgreens in the 1900 block of West Cermak Road in August 2007, bought two bags of trail mix and then took a third from the store without paying. Pena was recorded on store security cameras.

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.

"It had slipped my mind . . . what had occurred," Pena testified.



Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-cop-fired-20-nov20,0,7368786.story