A 23-year-old Chicago man has been charged with one felony count of armed robbery with a firearm after Chicago police say he robbed a 21-year-old man at gunpoint on the city's South Side on November 7, 2026 — and the Chicago Police Department's own charge release, posted on November 13, confirms the charge against Martez Johnson.
Source: Chicago Police Department
Johnson, of the 1300 block of S. Troy Street, was taken into custody by Chicago police on November 12, 2026, in the 600 block of W. Harrison Street, five days after the robbery. Prosecutors approved the single felony count of armed robbery with a firearm. The charge is an allegation; Johnson is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Source: Chicago Crime Chaser
What police say happened on South Wood Street
According to Chicago police in the 6th District, as reported by Chicago Crime Chaser from the department's account, the charge stems from a robbery reported on November 7, 2026, in the 7800 block of S. Wood Street on Chicago's South Side. Investigators determined that Johnson approached a 21-year-old man and forcibly took property from him at gunpoint.
Detectives identified Johnson as the suspect following an investigation and arrested him five days later, on November 12. Police noted that no additional details regarding the November 7 robbery are available at this time — the department has not said what property was taken, whether anyone was injured, or how detectives identified Johnson.
The Chicago Police Department lists this case on its official Charge Releases page as '13 Nov 26 – Offender Charged with Armed Robbery of 21-Year-Old Male — Martez Johnson', posted November 13, 2026. That official listing is the primary source for the charge; the narrative details and prior-arrest history in this report come from Chicago Crime Chaser's reporting of Chicago police accounts and department arrest records.
A detention hearing today in Cook County
Johnson is scheduled to appear for a detention hearing on November 14, 2026 — today — at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse at 2600 S. California Avenue in Chicago. A detention hearing is the early court step at which a judge decides whether a charged person stays in custody or is released while the case proceeds. No outcome of that hearing had been reported at the time of publication.
Prior arrests listed in police records
Chicago Police Department arrest records, as reviewed and reported by Chicago Crime Chaser, show Johnson has been taken into custody by city officers at least four times since 2021 on weapons, assault and property charges — before this week's armed-robbery charge. Those earlier arrests are arrests, not convictions, and are reported here as the outlet's account of department records.
On November 22, 2024, Johnson was arrested at age 21 in the 600 block of S. Central Avenue, in the 15th District, on a charge of aggravated assault with use of a deadly weapon and an active warrant, according to that reporting.
On December 16, 2022, he was arrested at age 19 in the 1200 block of S. Albany Avenue, in the 10th District, on charges including aggravated unlawful use of a loaded weapon without a FOID card or concealed-carry licence, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of burglary tools, reckless conduct and resisting a peace officer. On July 11, 2022, he was arrested at age 19 in the 1300 block of S. Troy Street, in the 10th District, on charges of obstructing identification, criminal damage to property under $500 and an active warrant. On September 27, 2021, he was arrested at age 18 in the 800 block of N. Francisco Avenue, in the 12th District, on charges of aggravated assault with use of a deadly weapon, obstructing identification, criminal damage to property under $500, resisting a peace officer and an active warrant.
What is solid
- The Chicago Police Department's official charge-release listing, posted November 13, 2026, names Martez Johnson as charged in the armed robbery of a 21-year-old male.
- Chicago Crime Chaser, reporting Chicago police accounts, gives the robbery date and place as November 7 in the 7800 block of S. Wood Street, and the arrest as November 12 in the 600 block of W. Harrison Street.
- A detention hearing is scheduled for November 14, 2026 at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse, 2600 S. California Avenue.
What is only claimed
- The narrative of how the robbery unfolded and Johnson's prior-arrest history rest on a single outlet's reporting of police accounts and department records; police say no additional details about the November 7 robbery are available, and the charge itself is an allegation, not a conviction.
Why this case matters on the South Side
Armed robbery with a firearm is among the most serious street-crime charges in Illinois, and this case follows the pattern Chicago police describe in many South Side holdups: a lone victim approached on a residential block and robbed at gunpoint. For residents of the 7800 block of South Wood Street and the surrounding 6th District, the arrest five days later — and today's detention decision — are the two facts that determine whether the man police accuse is back on the street while the case is pending.
What happens next
The next step is today's detention hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse. After that, the case proceeds in Cook County court, where prosecutors must prove the armed-robbery charge and Johnson is entitled to a defence. Awaaz Punjab will update this story if the detention outcome or further police details are released.
Source: Chicago Police Department