7-Eleven Robbery Foiled By Joliet Police: 2 Arrests

JOLIET, IL - The Joliet Police Department arrested two men in connection with an early morning armed robbery on Tuesday at the 7-Eleven convenience store on South Larkin Avenue. The crime occurred around 4:40 a.m. The two unsuccessful robbers were 26-year-old Alec Klocek, who hails from Plainfield, and 42-year-old David Tovar of Joliet's east-side, police reports reflect.

As a police officer, sometimes it's all about being in the right place at the right time. That was the case this week. Two Joliet officers on routine overnight patrol saw someone enter the business "in an aggressive manner which caught their attention. Officers observed the (person) emerge from the counter area and run out of the store towards a silver Honda that was ... out behind the building and got into the passenger seat," police reports show.

The Joliet Police officers realized they had stumbled across an armed robbery in progress.

They had to act fast.

"Believing a robbery had just taken place, officers immediately pulled into the lot where the vehicle was parked. The occupants inside the vehicle noticed the squad car and tried to flee the scene," police said.

The Joliet squad car blocked the getaway car. The 7-Eleven bandits threw their car in reverse and then put the car in drive and headed south on Larkin Avenue; a police chase was soon underway, reports state.

It would not last long.

"At the corner of Hammes (Avenue) and Jefferson Street the vehicle slowed and the passenger, later identified as Klocek, exited the passenger door and fled on foot through the parking lot in the 2100 block West Jefferson Street," police reports show.

A number of Joliet Police cars swarmed the area and had Klocek cornered, he surrendered to the police, reports state.

Meanwhile, the 42-year-old Tovar was still behind the wheel of their getaway car. Would he get away from the Joliet Police?

Tovar pulled into a nearby parking lot in the 2200 block of West Jefferson Street, but he wasn't able to outrun the Joliet Police officers who were after him, reports show.

"After a brief foot pursuit, Tovar was also taken into custody. Officers went back to the store that was robbed and spoke to the victims. The victims stated the suspect that was identified as Klocek, entered the store, brandished a knife and pointed it at one of the victims. Klocek then went to the cash register, took out the money, and fled from the building," Joliet Police said.

Klocek, who lives in the 22700 block of West Bass Lake in Plainfield, was taken for a ride to the Will County Jail where he was charged with armed robbery as well as an active arrest warrant for an unrelated aggravated assault.

Tovar, who lives in the 400 block of Columbia Street in Joliet, was arrested for armed robbery, aggravated fleeing and eluding and multiple traffic offenses, police said.

File image of Shorewood 7-Eleven, via John Ferak/Joliet Patch