Cops: Man Charged With Armed Robbery For Displaying Blade During Liquor Theft

EVANSTON, IL — A man and woman from Chicago have been charged with felonies in connection with a report that a shoplifter displayed a knife at an Evanston supermarket Monday.

Cops were called around 4:49 p.m. to the Jewel-Osco in the 1100 block of Chicago Avenue. When they arrived, staff of the store told them a man and a woman had been seen in the liquor section surreptitiously stashing three bottles of alcohol (with a retail value of $61.78) into their backpacks, according to Evanston Police Cmdr. Joseph Dugan.

Grocery store employees confronted the two apparent shoplifters and asked them to put the liquor back, police said. The pair paid no need and continued walking in the direction of the exit. Police said the man opened a pocket knife and brandished it, holding it out in front of his chest, as the thieves walked by the employees.

The Jewel staff feared for their safety at this point and did not try to stop the shoplifters (one of them now allegedly an armed robber) any further, according to police.

Responding officers located the Chicago man and woman, now identified as Greg A. McCoy, of the 100 block of West 112th Street, and Calendula Owens, of the 4100 block of South Federal, and recovered the stolen alcohol and a pocket knife in the 900 block of Sherman Avenue, according to Dugan.

The Cook County State's Attorney's Office approved felony charges for both McCoy, 32, and Owens, 37. McCoy was charged with one count of armed robbery, a class X felony, while Owens was charged with one count of felony (class 4) retail theft due to previous convictions, police said.

Top photo: Greg A. McCoy, Calendula Owens, June 19 booking photographs | Evanston PD