Four Men Charged With Robbing Cell Phone Store, Stashing Employee in Bathroom: COPS

OAK LAWN, IL -- Four men were arrested after they bullied their way into a cell phone store where they stole a large number of new cell phones and stashed an employee into a restroom, prosecutors said. The men are also led police on a chase where they smashed into an innocent bystander’s SUV, prosecutors said.

Quovadis Agnew and Demetris Chaires, both 22, along with Marko Cowens, 26, and Jerry Jackson, 25, appeared before Cook County Judge Donald Havis on charges of robbery and kidnapping. A weapon was not displayed during the robbery, Oak Lawn police said.

According to the prosecutor and Oak Lawn police, Jackson entered the Verizon Store at 9621 S. Cicero Ave., Oak Lawn, around 10:53 a.m.Wednesday, May 24. Jackson approached an employee and said he wanted to buy a phone, pulling out a wad of cash. Soon Jackson’s three accomplices also entered the store. The prosecutor said the employee felt “uncomfortable” so he went to the back room where he intended to call police.

>>> Oak Lawn Cell Phone Store Robbed, Three Suspects in Custody: COPS

The four men had apparently also followed the employee to the back room, the prosecutor said. The men allegedly forced the employee to give them his own phone before making him open a safe. The employee placed a large number of cell phones into a bag, including a “tracker” phone with a locating device. The men locked the employee in a restroom and fled from the store, according to the charges.

The employee called police after the men left. An Oak Lawn police officer spotted a fleeing orange car near 99th Street and Keeler, but lost sight of it. He radioed a description of the getaway car to nearby towns. An Evergreen Park police officer spotted the robbers’ car and followed it to 115th Street and Pulaski, the prosecutor said.

The fleeing car allegedly ran a red light at 115th Street where it crashed into an innocent bystander’s SUV, causing significant damage. The innocent bystander was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Oak Lawn police said the four suspects jumped out of their disabled vehicle. Three of them were caught in Alsip, where schools in the area were placed on lockdown. Later in the day, Chicago police saw the fourth suspect running in the area of 113th Street and Cicero Avenue. He was taken into custody without incident. The employee identified the four men, the prosecutor said.

Cowens is currently on parole from the Illinois Department of Corrections where he was serving a concurrent four-year sentence for burglary and aggravated battery to a police officer. Chairse has past convictions for escape, possession of cannabis and burglary, the prosecutor said. Their bail was set at $250,000 each.

Jackson and Agnew have no prior criminal background. The judge set their bail at $100,000 each. All four are due back in court June 21 in Bridgeview.