Avery F. Ross-Moore, 23, of Chicago, (inset) was arrested after running away from police officers who were responding to a call of forgery and identity theft at the Gregory INFINITI dealership at 1205 South Milwaukee Avenue in Libertyville on December 12, 2024. | Background Photo: Google Street View; Inset: Provided

A man who prosecutors say was caught committing identity theft while trying to purchase a $30,000 car at a Libertyville car dealership was tackled by officers following a three-minute foot pursuit.

Avery F. Ross-Moore, 23, of Chicago, was charged with forgery, identity theft, two counts of resisting a peace officer causing injury and theft.

The Libertyville Police Department responded around 8:30 p.m. on December 12 to Gregory INFINITI, 1205 South Milwaukee Avenue in Libertyville, for a report of a fraudulent identification.

Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Colleen McConnell said Ross-Moore presented a photograph of a driver’s license and the signatures did not match.

Ross-Moore was trying to purchase a 2019 Mercedes Benz for approximately $30,000.

McConnell said Ross-Moore used another person’s name and signed with the name 10 times on the paperwork but had not yet completed the sale.

Officers entered the lobby and Ross-Moore immediately ran from them while disobeying verbal commands to stop, McConnell said.

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McConnell said Ross-Moore ran out of the dealership, ran across a busy street and ran into a strip mall.

Officers chased Ross-Moore for approximately three minutes before tackling him behind 1163 South Milwaukee Avenue.

An officer suffered a cut to his hand and a bruise to his knee, McConnell said. A second officer suffered an abrasion to his knee.

Officers learned Ross-Moore was on electronic home monitoring at the time of the incident and he was also wanted out of Texas for a felony domestic battery charge.

Officers contacted the person whose identity was being used in the car purchase and he said he did not know how Ross-Moore got his identification, McConnell said.

The charges are not detainable under the Illinois SAFE-T Act on the basis of safety threat to the community but they are detainable under the basis of willful flight.

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The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Ross-Moore and argued he is a willful flight risk.

Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim agreed with prosecutors and granted the petition, saying that there were no conditions of release to mitigate the willful flight risk.

Ross-Moore, who remains held in the Lake County Jail, is scheduled to appear in court again on January 7 for a preliminary hearing.