Evanston Police Make 3 Gun Arrests In 4 Days

EVANSTON, IL — Police arrested three men charged with firearm offenses in separate traffic stops within less than four days this week in Evanston. The first arrest came after police smelled marijuana on a man with expired plates, the second was made by tactical detectives Wednesday afternoon and the third early Thursday morning after a man was stopped for speeding as part of a July 4 weekend traffic enforcement initiative, according to Cmdr. Ryan Glew.

MONDAY

Enrique Mora Morales, 21, of the 1100 block of Dewey Avenue in Evanston, was pulled over in the 2000 block of Main Street around 7:30 p.m. Monday after an police noticed the registration on the white Jeep he was driving had expired. Officers reported smelling the odor of cannabis coming from inside the vehicle and asked Mora Morales to step out.

Mora Morales admitted he had a pistol in his waistband, and officers found a loaded 9 mm as they took him into custody. Police said his driver's license was suspended and he did not have a license to possess or carry a firearm.

Police searched the Jeep and found 35.5 grams of marijuana, three 1000 mg tubes of THC oil and a burnt cannabis cigar reportedly weighing 0.5 grams.

Prosecutors approved one felony count of unlawful use of a weapon and one of possession of cannabis with intent to deliver. Mora Morales was also charged with two misdemeanor charges related to lacking a firearm owners’ identification card and one for driving with a suspended license. He was also ticketed for cannabis possession and expired plates. He was released after posting the $1,000 cash portion of his bond, according to a spokesperson for the Cook County sheriff’s office.

WEDNESDAY

Jeilin Harris-Thomas, who had been wanted in connection with an investigation into a home invasion in Skokie, was arrested by detectives after they noticed him get into a car as a passenger around 2:30 p.m. on June 27. Police said they followed the car and pulled it over in the 1400 block of Noyes Street after its driver failed to properly use a turn signal.

Officers learned Harris-Thomas was a passenger in Uber and reported smelling weed coming from inside. Police ended up finding about 2 grams of cannabis, as well as a gun in a bag police had seen Harris-Thomas carrying as he got into the car. The ride-hailing driver, who denied knowing his passenger had been packing, was cited for failure to signal when required.

Harris-Thomas, who did not have a license to own or carry a gun, was charged with one felony count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and two misdemeanor counts of possession of a gun without a valid firearm owners’ identification card. He was released on a personal recognizance bond after appearing in court, according to the sheriff’s office.

Skokie police have yet to respond to a request for more information about their end of the investigation, which will be added when it is received.

THURSDAY

Malik Brewer, 23, of the 7500 block of North Sheridan Road in Chicago, was arrested after he was stopped by an Evanston traffic sergeant on patrol as part of a July 4 "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" initiative. The officer noticed him speeding north around the 300 block of Sheridan Road in a blue Suzuki SUV and pulled him over.

Police said Brewer admitted having a gun in the vehicle. Inside a Louis Vuitton bag, officers found a loaded .22 caliber handgun. He was placed under arrest and charged with armed habitual criminal due to at least two prior convictions for certain felonies. He was also cited for speeding.

Brewer was held in lieu of 10 percent of a $50,000 bond for for armed habitual criminal charge and without bail on three separate charges, including one count of burglary and two others listed as residential burglary cases, according to the sherrif’s office.