A 28-year-old Venezuelan migrant was apprehended Thursday evening after police allegedly discovered a loaded handgun and an inert grenade in his possession after a disturbance ONÂ a CTA bus in South Chicago.
Jose Yepes was arrested around 7:35 p.m. in the 7900 block of South Jeffrey Boulevard after a bus driver flagged down authorities to report a battery in progress, according to a Chicago Police Department arrest report.
When officers boarded the bus, they noticed Yepes exiting. Officials say he “became wide-eyed and attempted to rush out of the bus.” When cops discovered a bulge in his waistline, they apprehended him.
Police said they found a loaded .380-caliber handgun in Yepes’ belt and a green grenade in his crossbody bag. The CPD Bomb Squad found that the grenade was inert.
Officers also discovered that Yepes had an active warrant for failing to appear in court on a petty shoplifting charge. The warrant has been active since March 2024.
On Friday, Judge James Costello ordered Yepes’ detention on accusations of unlawful possession of a bomb or grenade and unlawful possession of a weapon.
Although the grenade discovered in Yepes’ luggage was inert, meaning it had no explosive capacity, prosecutors charged him with unlawful use of a bomb or grenade.
In Illinois, the law punishes possession of any device that is designed to appear or operate as an explosive, even if it cannot detonate. Legal experts point out that such charges are frequently used to prevent people from carrying realistic-looking devices in public, particularly in congested areas like subway systems.
