Boldest Joliet Crime Of 2025? He Showed Off Ankle Bracelet, Boasted He's Been 'In The Patch': Prosecutor

JOLIET, IL — Joliet's Police Department is ending 2025 by improving its clearance rate on many of its recent unsolved crimes now that 18-year-old Jalen Davis and 32-year-old Christopher Covelli are each independently connected to widespread business burglaries. There is no known connection between them other than the fact that both resided on Joliet's west side, court files indicate.

Covelli lived in North Aurora and Bolingbrook earlier this year, before ending up in the 900 block of Joliet's North Raynor Street. On the other hand, Davis, only 18, comes from the 900 block of Campbell Street. This week, Davis showed off his ankle monitor, implied he had a gun and told a Joliet auto parts employee during an armed robbery how he had been in the Joliet Patch recently, according to Thursday's pretrial detention petition filed by the Will County State's Attorney's Office.

On Dec. 11, Davis was the subject of a Joliet Patch story headlined, "More Crime At Slammers Stadium, Subway Restaurant, Grocery Store Tied To This Joliet Teen: Police Announce." Previously, Joliet police arrested Davis back on Nov. 20 for burglaries near the Louis Joliet Mall at the Dollar Tree, Wendy’s and Dunkin’, and he was questioned about his involvement in additional burglaries to businesses in other areas of Joliet.

This week's robbery inside the O'Reilly Auto Parts store on Joliet's Collins Street prompted State's Attorney Jim Glasgow's team of prosecutors to vigorously pursue a SAFE-T-Act detention for Davis. Will County Judge Derek Ewanic has ordered Davis to remain in detention for now. Prosecutors did not file a petition to deny pretrial release after the Joliet 18-year-old's two previous recent arrests by Joliet police.

On Wednesday, prosecutors charged Davis with aggravated robbery and robbery in connection with Monday's crime at the O'Reilly Auto Parts Store on Joliet's east side. Separately, prosecutors also filed another burglary charge against Davis in connection with a November burglary at the Pot Belly Sandwich shop along Plainfield Road near the Louis Joliet Mall.

In their petition to deny pretrial release, prosecutors noted that on Monday, Joliet police officer Navarro responded to the armed robbery. The O'Reilly's employee said Davis entered the store and walked around aimlessly. Even a customer reported Davis to the employee, indicating he was acting suspicious. When the employee approached Davis to see if he needed help, Davis appeared intoxicated, slurring his words, court files show. Then, prosecutors said, Davis put his hands into his pockets and announced, "I got a gun!" Davis lifted his pant leg and showed off his ankle monitor and revealed "he was recently in the Patch."

The employee then told Davis to take whatever he wanted and backed away. Davis chose to put one car jack away and he walked out of the business with one car jack without paying for it, prosecutors outlined.

The employee told Joliet police "due to the defendant stating he was in the Patch, (the employee) researched Patch articles and advised that Jalen Davis looked similar to the individual."

Joliet Police Detective James Kilgore later spoke with Will County Pretrial Services, and she confirmed "Jalen Davis was present at O'Reilly Auto Parts located at 312 Collins Street in Joliet on 12-15-2025 at approximately 2:30 p.m. (She) supplied a screenshot of the defendant's coordinates."

After Joliet police arrested Davis, "he stated he was at O'Reilly Auto Parts earlier that day and was communicating with an employee and told him he had a firearm on his person but was kind of joking around," prosecutors revealed. "He stated he does not remember what items he took exactly but it may have included a small car jack ... defendant admitted to being 'a little high' earlier in the day but denied being intoxicated at the time of the incident."

According to Thursday's petition, prosecutors revealed how his "actions show he is willing to use intimidation and implied deadly force to obtain property, creating an unacceptable danger to the community. Furthermore, the defendant committed these offenses while on pretrial release and electronic monitoring. Despite being under one of the most restrictive non-custodial conditions available, the defendant committed a new violent felony.

"Pretrial Services confirmed via GPS data that the defendant was present at the location during the robbery. This demonstrates a complete failure to comply with existing court-ordered conditions and establishes that supervision, monitoring and release conditions have already proven ineffective ... there are no conditions the court can impose that would reasonably mitigate the danger he poses."

Related Joliet Patch coverage of Jalen Davis and Christopher Covelli:

Joliet Robbery At O'Reilly Auto Parts Store Leads To Another Jalen Davis Arrest: Joliet Police Reveal

Joe's Hot Dogs, Several Joliet, Crest Hill Businesses Hit By Burglar On Ankle Monitor: Prosecutor