CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — An armed man who was questioned by police during the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee was arrested this week in Chicago, near the United Center, on the first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC).
Juan Pablo Zaldua-Vargas, 28, is a concealed carry permit holder in Wisconsin, but not in Illinois. He had parked a truck on Fulton Street near the United Center.
His truck was flagged because he had been under federal scrutiny after he was questioned about his gun during the RNC. He wasn’t arrested or charged in Milwaukee, though, because he wasn’t breaking any laws.
Chicago police watched his truck. When he returned to it and drove away, he was pulled over.
The police report said he denied he had a gun and appeared nervous. A search, though, turned up an unloaded handgun and multiple loaded magazines. He said he was here to serve as a street medic during the convention and to help during protests, if needed, officials said.
The Sun-Times reports that the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office declined to file felony charges.
He faces a misdemeanor charge of unlawful use of a weapon.
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