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Posted at 2:02 p.m., Thursday, July 12, 2007

NBA: Walker moving out after robbery

By Azam Ahmed
Chicago Tribune

CHICAGO — Antoine Walker's stately home, which sits along a plush row of town homes on West Huron Street, sits empty.

No people standing on the back porch, no flashy cars easing in and out of the alley garage. Just an industrial-size trash can, bulging with bags of garbage and empty shoe boxes near the rear gate.

The Miami Heat forward and former Mt. Carmel High School basketball star has left his $4.1 million dollar home and is in the process of moving out, his agent, Mark Bartelstein, said today.

The move comes after Walker was duct-taped and robbed at home late Monday afternoon by two masked gunmen, who drove off in Walker's black Mercedes with his cash and jewelry.

Though some of the stolen jewelry turned up Tuesday during a traffic stop on the Southwest Side, police said, investigators don't believe the two people who were stopped were involved in the robbery. The car also was discovered Tuesday, minus the rims and stereo.

Neighbors said three moving trucks showed up at Walker's home yesterday morning and left in the afternoon.

Walker has said three men approached him in his garage and at least two of them had guns. The men, who were wearing masks, forced Walker into his house and duct-taped his feet and hands.

One neighbor expressed a desire to have the alley fenced off from the public. The alley, a dusty strip of road, can be used to access the backs of some homes on Huron Street, including Walker's. "It's a high-profile area next to a high crime area," said Jim Finkl, one of Walker's neighbors, who thought Walker was making a mistake leaving his home. "I told the guy who worked for him, `Man you can't be running from this. You can't let these (robbers) chase you off, especially when you have all the neighbors supporting you. You can't let the bad guys win."'

Michael Roberts, another neighbor, said he has a friend who was robbed a gunpoint about a block away recently.

"I think the alderman better get (the police) to be more vigilant," he said. "If I was tied up at gunpoint, I'd likely leave myself."

But 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly believes the incident is an isolated one and not an accurate depiction of crime in the area.

"In River North we certainly have our fair share of petty crimes; in this particular case we have an isolated incident where a high-profile athlete was targeted," he said. "While this incident is unfortunate, home invasions here are very rare."

Reilly said police are viewing copies of video footage neighborhood cameras captured from the day of the crime.

Chicago Tribune staff reporter Fred Mitchell contributed to this report.