Felony stalking charges have been dropped against a Chicago man who authorities say tried to approach Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s home carrying a loaded weapon, but he was found guilty of reckless discharge of a firearm in the case.
Joseph Igartua, 37, was initially held in jail without bond after officials charged him in February, saying he drove past Lightfoot’s home more than 15 times within the span of about a month and was suspected of firing five shots in an ally near the mayor’s home.
Igartua was sentenced Tuesday to 18 months’ probation for the reckless discharge conviction. By a court order that lasts for two years, he’s forbidden to contact Lightfoot, go within 500 feet of her home or possess firearms.
His attorney, Steve Greenberg, said Igartua never should have been charged with stalking. He merely wanted to leave a letter for Lightfoot to express that was “upset” about the mayor’s policy of issuing speed camera tickets for those driving as little as 6 mph over the limit, Greenberg said.
Igartua had gotten several speed camera tickets, Greenberg said, and his letter asked the mayor to put the money from speeding tickets to good use, including to alleviate the rat problem in the alley behind Igartua’s house.
“I think they recognized it wasn’t a stalking case,” Greenberg said. “He was just a disgruntled citizen. And they really overreached on it.”
Authorities alleged that Igartua — having already been spotted by police driving past Lightfoot’s home multiple times — parked nearby on Feb. 12 and approached the house on foot while carrying a handgun with a round in the chamber. He was stopped by officers, who broke down his weapon but returned it to him because he had a valid firearm owner’s ID card and concealed carry license, according to officials.
Igartua continued to be seen driving near the home and had additional interactions with police, officials said. On Feb. 16, while under police surveillance, officers saw Igartua turn down an alley near Lightfoot’s home then they heard five gunshots from his direction that were also picked up by a ShotSpotter, authorities said; he was apprehended at a nearby gas station a short time later.
Greenberg said of the stalking charge: “It was just another example of how this mayor reacts to any criticism by lashing out at her critics.”
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Igartua was released from jail following his Tuesday court date, Greenberg said.
Lightfoot had released a statement following the man’s initial court hearing: “My hope is that this will be used as an opportunity for all of us to reflect on how we engage with each other. I want us to see each other as human. … We as a society cannot give license to people to think that they can take it upon themselves or to act in a way that causes physical harm to another person.”
baiduhai’s Tracy Swartz and Megan Crepeau contributed.