First reported 7/24/2009 1:36 p.m.
The sister of a man arrested for allegedly dealing drugs at a South Austin Boulevard three-flat July 17 was herself arrested July 24 after reportedly disposing of evidence in a related case.
Also last Wednesday, police said, two more witnesses identified armed robbery suspect Antonio Ray as the person who threatened them with a box cutter.
Police say Darlene Tolliver, 46, of 112 S. Austin stopped a person from bringing to police a bloody T-shirt allegedly worn by Antonio Ray in one of the alleged robberies. In that incident, a witness struggled with the robber, bloodying his shirt.
“Someone found the bloody T-shirt the [robber] used,” said Det. Sgt. Art Borchers. “The person was going to bring it over to the Oak Park police department.
Borchers said Tolliver heard about it, confronted the person and seized the T-shirt. “She grabbed the T-shirt and threw it away. We can’t find it,” he said.
Police declined to pursue charges against Tolliver. However, it was determined Tolliver was wanted by the Illinois Department of Corrections on a parole violation. She was paroled in April from Lincoln Correctional Center, where she was serving a two-year sentence after a 2008 conviction for two counts of drug possession.
Borchers said police have a strong case against Ray without the T-shirt and blood evidence.
“It’s something that would have been nice to have, but it’s not a huge piece of evidence,” said Borchers.
Ray is now charged with four armed robberies between June 7 and July 9, two at an ATM on the first block of Madison, one on the first block of Pleasant and one on the 200 block of North Austin. Ray, who was previously held on $500,000 bond, is now being held without bail due to a parole violation warrant in Alabama for robbery, burglary and battery convictions there.
