NEWS RELEASE

RIVERSIDE POLICE DEPARTMENT

31 Riverside Road, Riverside, IL 60546

20 November 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chief Weitzel tweitzel@riverside.il.us

708.447.2127 - Follow RPD on Twitter @pdriverside

Offender in Riverside Armed Robbery Involving Jewelry

Re-arrested in Chicago for Robbery
Police Chief states bond hearing system fails once again
Saul Sandoval, 19 of the 2800 block of South Keeler in Chicago has been re-arrested for robbery in
Chicago. Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel released the following information that was given to him
by his detectives. Mr. Sandoval was arrested by Riverside Police on Wednesday, August 6, 2014 for an
armed robbery that took place in the driveway of the 100 block of East Burlington. The original armed
robbery took place Sunday, August 3, 2014 at 5:30 p.m. In the Riverside incident, two victims were
robbed at gunpoint of jewelry and other personal items they had on their person.
After an extensive 3-day investigation, Riverside Police were able to arrest two individuals one of them
being Saul Sandoval, and the other being Juan Ramos, 21 of the 4900 block of West 30th Street in Cicero.
Both individuals were charged with two counts of armed robbery, a Class X felony and one count of
aggravated battery to a senior citizen. Mr. Sandoval was able to post 10 percent of an $85,000.00 bond.
He was out on bond at the time of his arrest in Chicago.
Riverside Police were notified that on November 15, 2014, Saul Sandoval was arrested for robbery after
he was positively identified as being the offender who threw a victim to the ground, punched her about the
head, face and body and took the victims purse which contained her I.D., cell phones and miscellaneous
papers. Sandoval fled the scene but was arrested shortly after the crime by Chicago Police in the 3100
block of West 39th Place in Chicago. The original robbery took place in the 3100 block of West 39th
Place.
Mr. Sandoval is a self-admitted documented street gang member and had an extensive criminal history
before his arrest in Riverside in August 2014 and his latest arrest in Chicago on November 15.
Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel stated, I cannot understand how Mr. Sandoval was out on an
$85,000.00 bond in the first place. While this bond may seem high, he was able to post $8,500.00 in cash

and has been out on the streets over the last several months. On November 15, he again committed a
serious violent robbery in which the victim was physically punched and pushed to the ground. If it were
not for the quick response of the Chicago Police Department, Mr. Sandoval may have well gotten with
another street robbery. Chief Weitzel went on to say, The Cook County bond hearing process is
completely flawed and there is no set standard for judges to set bonds. In this case, you have an
individual with a violent criminal history, armed with a handgun when he committed the crime in Riverside,
physically threatened and injured two senior citizens, robbed them at gunpoint of their belongings and fled
from the scene. After being caught, they showed no remorse while in police custody. I cannot get my
head around how a Cook County Circuit Judge could even allow this individual out on bond for the case in
which he was arrested in Riverside.
Mr. Sandovals criminal history includes 10 prior arrests before his arrest in Riverside and several of those
arrests were felonies. Additionally, at the time of his arrest on November 15th, he was wanted on a warrant
for aggravated robbery related to an August 2011 robbery in Chicago.
Mr. Sandoval is currently in Cook County Jail awaiting the Chicago robbery charges and his bond has
been set at $150,000.00. His Riverside case is also still pending.
Riverside Police have also learned this week that the other suspect arrested in the Riverside armed
robbery from August 3rd, Juan Ramos, 21 of the 4900 block of West 30th Street in Cicero has been taken
into custody by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents. Mr. Ramos was also out on bond
from the Riverside case and had posted 10% of his $75,000. 00 bond. He is also currently wanted on two
outstanding traffic warrants issued by Montgomery County Sheriffs Office and Cicero Police.

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