UPDATE: 

Bond for Firas Ayoubi was set today at a $1 million D bond. His court date will be Dec. 17 at 1:30 p.m. at the Skokie branch of the Cook County courts. 

ORIGINAL STORY:

Firas Ayoubi, 27, of North Normandy Street in Chicago, has been charged with four felony counts, including aggravated criminal sexual assault, after he entered a business Tuesday and sexually assaulted a 19-year-old employee, police said.

At about 8 a.m. Tuesday, Ayoubi walked into a Niles tanning salon which a 19-year-old woman, of Elmwood Park, had just opened for business for the day. She was in the back of the business, located in the 5600 block of Touhy Avenue. Ayoubi approached her wearing a mask that partially covered the lower half of his face, according to police, dragged her to a storeroom and sexually assaulted her.

He then dragged her by the hair and arm back to the front of the store and asked where the cash drawer was located, police said.  A 60-year-old Chicago man entered the business for an appointment and the woman asked him for help. This man, a witness, swore at Ayoubi and ordered him to let the woman go; the woman got free and she and the witness rushed outside and called police.

Ayoubi got into a black midsize SUV and sped off, and the witness followed in his own car on Central to Touhy, according to police. Because he was driving erratically, the witness lost sight of him on Carpenter Road/Central Street near Devon Avenue in Chicago.

Niles Police Sgt. Robert Tornabene said Niles detectives identified Ayoubi through witness statements and outstanding investigative work. They conducted surveillance on his vehicle and followed him into Schiller Park. Niles police detectives took him into custody in that town, with Schiller Park police on the scene. 

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The offender was positively identified in a line-up of live people. Ayoubi had a prior conviction as a child sex offender, and was in compliance with sex offender registration. The Cook County States Attorney’s Office charged him with: 

• One count of aggravated criminal sexual assault, a Class X felony
• One count of attempted aggravated robbery, a Class 2 felony
• One count of kidnapping, a class 2 felony
• One count of unlawful restraint, a class 4 felony

Niles police said this may have been an isolated incident and the offender may have specifically targeted the business. 

Ayoubi was taken to court for a bond hearing Friday, Dec. 7. 

Information is provided by the Niles Police Department.

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