Store Owner Thwarts Armed Robbery Spree by Pulling Gun on Teen Robber

Photo caption: Surveillance photos sent to the media last week showed the face of the armed robber in the Marathon Gas Station robbery near Palatine blurred out since he could have been a juvenile. The teens were arrested this past week.

PALATINE, IL - Two teens arrested for a string of suburban armed robberies were thwarted by a store owner who pulled a gun of his own in Des Plaines.

Authorities were able to use surveillance video footage to connect the teens to an armed robbery last week in Palatine, Lake County Sheriff's Office Detective Christopher Covelli said in an e-mail.

The 16-year-old Des Plaines boy and 15-year-old Chicago boy now both face charges of armed robbery, which is a class X felony, in connection with the March 22 robbery that occurred at the Marathon Gas Station at 20235 N. Rand Road in unincorporated Palatine. A store clerk at the gas station was held at gun point at about 11:25 p.m. by the two male suspects who stole cash and then fled on foot, police said.

The Des Plaines teen was arrested following a robbery at Nuevo Mexico grocery store on Saturday after the store's owner pulled a gun on the teen who was attempting to rob his store at gunpoint, the Daily Herald reports. The teen then fled the store but the store owner chased after, firing three shots in his direction. The teen got away but was later arrested.

Des Plaines officers recognized the juvenile as being involved in a robbery near Palatine due to a police bulletin that had been issued by Lake County sheriff’s detectives, police said. Covelli said that bulletin, unlike the photo shared with media that blurred out the juveniles' faces, included a photo of the teen's face.

Lake County Sheriff's Office detectives interviewed the teen who allegedly admitted to his involvement in the unincorporated Palatine armed robbery, police said. He is currently being held in a Cook County Juvenile Detention Facility and sheriff’s detectives will submit a juvenile delinquent referral/petition on the charge of Armed Robbery (Class X Felony), according to the news release.

Police arrested the Chicago teen on Monday at his home. He was taken into custody and transported to the Lake County Hulse Juvenile Detention Facility pending a hearing. Sheriff’s detectives have submitted a juvenile delinquent referral/petition on the charge of Armed Robbery (Class X Felony), police said.

During the investigation, sheriff’s detectives recovered the gun they believe was used in the armed robbery and determined it was a BB gun, which actually looked like an actual, functioning firearm, according to the news release.

Over $300 was stolen from Marathon Gas Station during the armed robbery, police said.

The teens are also accused of robbing the Exotic Vapors store and a Dunkin' Donuts in Des Plaines, according to the Daily Herald.

More via the Daily Herald

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