7-Eleven Robbers Hit New Lenox, Then Shorewood: Cops

NEW LENOX, IL - Shorewood Police Department's deputy chief Jason Barten told Patch on Tuesday afternoon that he's positive that the same two men who robbed the New Lenox 7-Eleven at gunpoint around 12:30 a.m. were the same robbers who struck in Shorewood, about 40 minutes later.

Barten told Patch that the 7-Eleven at Route 59 and U.S. 52 was the victim of an armed robbery that happened around 1:10 a.m. In the second crime, Shorewood authorities were able to capture better video surveillance footage of the two robbers. Barten provided the footage to Patch on Tuesday afternoon in the hopes that someone in the surrounding Joliet-Shorewood area may recognize one of the men.

If somebody has a strong lead on the robbers or their getaway car, Barten urged them to call the Shorewood Police Department at 815-725-1460 and ask for investigations.

"These two are definitely related," Barten told Patch, referring to the crime in Shorewood and the one in New Lenox, both at 7-Elevens about 20 miles away.

He said the Shorewood 7-Eleven robbers got away with a small amount of cash and they also stole a bottle of alcohol. "They were out very quickly," he said. "It took less than a minute."

On a positive note, Barten said that Shorewood Police are tracking some leads on a possible getaway vehicle. He believes they were driving a small compact car. "We're not real sure on the color," he added.

Just like in the New Lenox crime, nobody in the 7-Eleven store in Shorewood was injured, Barten said.

At this point, Barten said, it's unclear where the armed robbers went after fleeing Shorewood. In all likelihood, they drove to Shorewood from New Lenox by traveling west on Interstate 80, past Joliet, and took Interstate 55 to Shorewood.

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New Lenox Police officials say the circumstances of Tuesday's early morning stickup at the 7-Eleven near Route 30 and Cedar Road were much different than the armed robbery early Saturday morning. For the second time in less than 72 hours, armed robbers struck the same New Lenox 7-Eleven, the New Lenox Police Department announced on Tuesday morning.

New Lenox Police say the latest armed robbery happened at 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. The two robbers, one holding a gun, stole cash and lottery tickets, police say. The store clerk was not hurt. After committing the crime in New Lenox, the two robbers may have committed armed robberies in neighboring communities, New Lenox Police said.

"Anyone having information or knowing the identity of the pictured subjects is asked to call the NLPD Tip Line at 815-462-6111," police urged.

New Lenox Deputy Chief of Police Louis Alessandrini told Patch on Tuesday afternoon Saturday's crime happened around 5 a.m. Tuesday's crime happened at 12:30 a.m.

Saturday's crime involved a lone gunman, who was covered in all black, wearing a black mask, police said.

Tuesday's robbery involved two people and they did not conceal their faces.

Saturday's gunman stole money and cigarettes. Tuesday's robbers stole money and scratch off lottery tickets, the deputy chief noted.

ORIGINAL STORY: Armed Robbery In New Lenox At 7-Eleven

Alessandrini said that New Lenox Police officers have investigated crimes over the years at the 7-Eleven near Route 30 and Cedar Road, "but back to back like this is unusual. We've never seen something like this happen in a 72-hour period.

"We are following up on leads and doing all we can to catch these people," he continued.

He said New Lenox is not the only area community in Will County that has had a number of armed robberies of late. He said there have been other crimes in neighboring Homer-Glen and Frankfort, for example.

"It's happening in other communities as well," Alessandrini noted.

Meanwhile, Patch has reached out to the Shorewood Police Department to determine whether the same two armed robbers drove from New Lenox to Shorewood early morning and robbed a business in Shorewood early morning. Patch will update this story after interviewing the Shorewood police.

Main image: August 8, 2018 video surveillance footage from Shorewood 7-Eleven provided to Patch by the Shorewood Police Department, other images via New Lenox Police Department social media page