Man Stalked Woman, Fled Across I-80 On Foot: Tinley PD

TINLEY PARK, IL — A Palos Park man faces charges of aggravated stalking and violating an order of protection, after police said he threatened and harassed a woman before leading police on a chase across I-80 and into a shopping center parking lot Tuesday.

Officials said Nicholas Roberto, 32, of Palos Park fled from police Tuesday afternoon, as officers pursued him in connection with harassment of a woman earlier that day. Roberto, who had an order of protection issued against him, violated it for a second time that day, Tinley Park police said.

The victim told police that she had "constantly been contacted and harassed" with threatening texts from Roberto. A similar incident happened a week earlier, police said, when Roberto texted the woman "a picture of himself holding a pistol."

Police in Oak Forest, where the woman lived at the time, issued a warrant for Roberto, for violating a court order. Roberto was ordered to stay 100 feet away from the woman and her children.

Tinley Park police say that the morning of March 21, Roberto began texting the woman again in the early morning hours, also finding her and her children at a Tinley Park hotel where they were staying before moving to a new home. The victim told police she "heard scratching at her door and she looked out the peephole" to see Roberto there. Roberto then allegedly later intimated violence against the victim, making a "shooting gesture" at her as she left the hotel, according to police reports.

Several hours later, police were called to the parking lot of the same hotel located in the 18600 block of W. Creek Drive, for reports of a man matching Roberto's description checking car door handles. The man fled when police approached, running on foot across I-80.

Police deployed a drone in the search for Roberto, who they said then fled into Kohl's department store in Brookside Marketplace, 7500 W. 191st St. Police captured Roberto after a brief chase in the store's parking lot.

Police found Roberto in possession of three plastic baggies of a white powdery substance, which police said he admitted was heroin. He told police he had been in communication with the victim "all day" and turned his phone over for search.

The Will County State's Attorney's Office approved charges of felony aggravated stalking and misdemeanor violation of order of protection. He was also charged with retail theft, police said, for shoes he stole while inside Kohl's. Oak Forest Police also charged Roberto with violating order of protection in connection with the earlier incident.

Roberto was taken to the Will County Adult Detention Facility, and was due in court on the stalking and order of protection violation charges Wednesday afternoon. He was issued a D Bond of $100,000, or $10,000 needed to bond out.