Jewelry Store Robbers Arrested After 11-Month Investigation: Cops

SKOKIE, IL — Two Chicago men have been charged in the robbery of a pawn shop in Skokie last year, police said. Raphael Bell, 27, of the 6200 block of South Seeley Avenue, and Charles Lyons, 26, of the 7300 block of Vincennes Avenue, each face a single count of robbery in connection with an incident 11 months ago.

Shortly before 2 p.m. on March 9, 2019, two men robbed the A&B Jewelry and Loan at 3520 Dempster St., according to police.

The duo made off with a dozen tennis bracelets valued at between $12,000 and $12,000 after Lyons pushed the clerk to the ground, police reported.

The two men were identified as the robbers following a "full and thorough investigation" by Skokie detectives, officers and evidence technicians, according to a release.

Skokie police said Bell was arrested July 16, 2019, in Maywood, and Lyons was arrested Feb. 10 in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood.

No information about the case was available from the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, and police declined to disclose how they identified the men.

Bell, who is facing separate criminal charges in Cook County, remains held without bond ahead of his next court appearance on Feb. 18, according to the Cook County Sheriff's Office.

Following a hearing on Tuesday in Skokie, Lyons was ordered held in lieu of the $20,000 cash portion of his bond ahead of a Feb. 19 court appearance, police said.

As of Friday, both men were being held at Cook County Jail. No attorney information was immediately available for either defendant.