Chicago Cops Arrest Woman For Looting During Riots After She Live-Streamed Her Crimes On Social Media

Chicago police just arrested a woman for looting during the protests in the Illinois city, saying that they caught her because she live-streamed her crimes on Facebook.

Taeshia Rochon, 22, was arrested and charged with two felony counts of burglary and two felony counts of looting, according to CBS Local. Officers said they apprehended her after their Looting Task Force received a tip about the video Rochon posted to Facebook Live.

The Cook County State’s Attorney’s office accused Rochon of posting two livestream videos that showed her taking part in looting at Nordstrom and Sunglass Hut. The videos quickly went viral during the rioting and looting of downtown Chicago stores on August 10.

Who is this looter that is live streaming? Taeshia Rochon in Chicago Illinois #chicagoriots #Riots #Taeshiarochon pic.twitter.com/OIiLkb9uFG

— Etheric Roads (@Ethericroads) August 10, 2020

In another video, Rochon can be heard encouraging other looters as they wreak havoc on the stores.

8/9/20 Chicago Credit: Taeshia Rochon (Sadly, the livestream ended) pic.twitter.com/a2mBQwd5sO

— Liz Jones (@LizJone26271417) August 10, 2020

Over one hundred people have since been arrested for this looting in Chicago, and thirteen police officers were injured in the riots.

This comes one day after Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) announced that she was forming a task force that would search social media for evidence of crimes, and to help in apprehending the criminals behind them.

“As we’ve seen over these past few months, social media platforms have repeatedly been used to organize large groups of people to engage in illegal activity,” Lightfoot said, according to NBC Chicago.

Community leaders in Englewood, Chicago have since been speaking out against protesters after local residents were blamed for the looting, according to Fox32.

“I don’t see none of you motherf***ers when it’s kids back here shot up!” yelled longtime Englewood resident Darryl Smith. “I’m out here every day! Y’all don’t come out here when the kids get shot! Y’all come out when it has to do with the f***ing police!”

Much of the blame for the chaos of Chicago can be placed squarely on Lightfoot’s shoulders, as the liberal mayor spent months denying that the riots that had overtaken her city were violent. Though it seems that she is changing her tune now, her efforts to stop the chaos now may just be a little too late.

This piece was written by PoliZette Staff on August 18, 2020. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.