Chicago man faces several felony charges following Riverside arrest

RIVERSIDE - A Chicago man faces several felony charges after bring arrested Oct. 1 in Riverside.

Dellis D. Woodland, 22, of the 300 block of South Kilpatrick Avenue, was charged with armed violence, aggravated unlawful use of weapon by felon, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance, according to a Riverside Police Department news release.

A Riverside police officer at about 1:18 a.m. Oct. 1 spotted a car stopped at 26th Street and Harlem Avenue adjacent to a 7-Eleven. As the officer pulled up toward the car, it did a u-turn and entered the Costco parking lot in North Riverside.

The officer went to check on the 7-Eleven, the location of three prior armed robberies. He saw two men dressed in all black and wearing black face masks walking toward the front of the store.

The officer asked the men to stop so he could talk to them, and they said they were trying to find their car. When the officer exited his car, the men fled on foot. As they ran across Harlem Avenue, they were joined by a third suspect, police said.

A Riverside officer arrested Woodland after a foot chase. Woodland was carrying an undisclosed amount of cash and 83 Xanax pills.

During a further search of the area by Riverside police and the North Riverside canine unit, police recovered a fully loaded 9-millimeter Glock magazine in the side yard of a house in the 7100 block of West 26th Street. The gun was not recovered, police said. Police believe that one of the offenders who escaped has a Glock handgun in his possession.

Police also found a fully loaded Sig Sauer handgun in a rear yard in the 7100 block of 26th Street.

Following an interview, police learned that Woodland was in the Riverside and North Riverside area to sell Xanax. He fit the description and pattern of a subject wanted for numerous armed robberies in both Chicago and the western suburbs, police said.

Police obtained a consent for DNA from Woodland. DNA was also taken from the firearm recovered along with fingerprint evidence. Additionally, police obtained a search warrant for Woodland's phone as well as the car that was involved.

Police recovered the vehicle in North Riverside at the Costco parking lot, which listed to a resident of Maywood.

A search of the cell phone revealed a photo of the handgun that was recovered by police. The photo was posted on social media Sept. 30. There were also statements made on social media regarding the handgun. Additionally, during a search of the phone, police discovered that Woodland had done a search for "7-Elevens open 24 hours."

Police learned that prior to the Riverside incident, there was an armed robbery in Oak Park involving the vehicle used in the Riverside incident and the suspect police had in custody.

Proceeds from the Oak Park armed robbery were also recovered in the vehicle used in the Riverside incident, police said.

Police believe Woodland is reasonable for numerous armed robberies in Chicago and west suburban Cook County.

Woodland was on parole for a June 2019 arrest in Chicago for possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number. He also has listed his address as the 2100 block of West Melrose Drive in Champaign, Ill.

Woodland's criminal history includes disorderly conduct, theft, numerous felony weapon charges, warrant arrests and armed violence, according to police.

"There is no doubt that midnight shift officers prevented an armed robbery from taking place," Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel said in a statement. "Mr. Woodland was going into the front door of the 7-Eleven with a loaded handgun, dressed in all black and fitting the description of prior armed robbery suspects in the western suburbs and Chicago.

“Riverside officers then had an extended foot chase with this individual with a loaded handgun and were able to recover the handgun, the offender and drug. I am very glad that no officers were injured, the offender was not injured and no robbery took place.”