Nov. 24--A Near West Side man was ordered held on $50,000 bail Sunday after prosecutors said he called 911 while pulled over by police and reported a fake shooting in the hope that he could get out of the traffic tickets he was about to be issued.
Jorge Navarro Jr., 23, was pulled over by police around 2:40 a.m. Sunday in the 9500 block of South Kilbourn Avenue in suburban Oak Lawn, according to Cook County court records.
In the midst of the traffic stop, court records state that Navarro called 911 and said he heard eight gunshots and that a man had been shot and was lying on the ground a few blocks south on Kilbourn.
"Several officers drove to the scene with their emergency lights on," according to court records.
When questioned, Navarro, of the 300 block of South Artesian Avenue, said he had phoned in the fake shooting, according to court records.
"He made the call to get out of several traffic violations," according to court records.
In addition to a felony charge for making the bogus 911 call, court records state that Navarro received tickets for illegal transportation of an open alcohol container, speeding, no seat belt, driving without lights and improper lane usage.
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