Lollapalooza Ticket Thefts: Suspect Arrested

NILES, IL — A Chicago man faces a felony charge after allegedly stealing concert tickets from potential sellers he met online. Rhaquen M. Freeman, 19, of the 5600 block of West Division Street in Chicago, was arrested Thursday by investigators from the Niles Police Department and charged with felony theft. According to police, he stole at least six tickets to Lollapolooza Tuesday from at least two people.

In the first instance, a 26-year-old Highland Park woman agreed to meet Freeman after making contact via a Facebook ticket sale group and exchanging instant messages, police said. The woman planned to sell Freeman four all-show passes and tickets to the concert.

Police said they met each other around 10:40 a.m. in the 7700 block of Nordica Street. As the woman began to explain how to use the electronic bracelet, Freeman grabbed everything out of her hands and ran to a waiting vehicle nearby. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news for Niles — or your community. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)

The Highland Park woman got into her car and followed Freeman as he fled in a 2006 Toyota SUV. Police said she called 9-1-1 and gave dispatchers the Toyota's license plate as she pursued it, but it started running red lights and police were unable to immediately find the vehicle when they arrived.

Police said Freeman was quickly identified because he used his real name in instant messages he and the woman exchanged on Facebook. Investigators checked his last known address in Niles but did not find him.

Just an hour after the reported theft, Freeman was already offering four all-show Lollapalooza passes on a Facebook account, according to police. Police spoke with the woman, who said she wanted to press charges. The reported value of the tickets was $1,340.

But Freeman was not done, police said. Shortly before 10 p.m. he met another person, a juvenile, looking to sell Lollapolooza tickets. Just like in the morning, he met the potential seller in the 7700 block of Nordica Street, grabbed the tickets and ran, according to police. The value of tickets stolen from the juvenile was $700, but the victim's mother did not wish to press charges and Freeman was not charged in connection with the incident.

Freeman was arrested in the Toyota that had been used in the theft, according to Niles Police Cmdr. Robert Tornabene. He said police have recovered three tickets from the first theft and one ticket from the second theft.

Top photo Rhaquen M. Freeman (Niles PD)