SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (AP) — Bail has been denied for a man facing a state terrorism charge for driving an SUV through a suburban Chicago shopping mall.
Police in Schaumburg announced Sunday that the Cook County state’s attorney’s office authorized the charge against 22-year-old Javier Garcia of Palatine, Illinois. Garcia also is charged with criminal damage to property.
During a bond hearing, prosecutors said that on Sept. 20 Garcia drove his SUV through a Sears entrance into the common area of Woodfield Mall, weaving in and out of kiosks as shoppers ran for cover. No one was struck by the vehicle.
Defense attorney Amil Alkass says Garcia has no criminal history. He also notes his client takes psychiatric medications and is being treated for bipolar disorder and paranoid schizophrenia.
Investigators said in a statement that they “believe Garcia acted alone.”
