On Feb. 15, at approximately 11:25 a.m., Evanston police received a report of an armed robbery at Robby’s Communications at 333 Howard St. in Evanston. Evanston police officers proceeded into the area and conducted a canvas. They learned the offender might have boarded a south bound CTA train, leaving the Howard Steet station. Evanston police then coordinated with Chicago police and CTA officials to have the train detained at the Chicago Thorndale CTA station.
Evanston and Chicago police then searched the train at the Thorndale CTA station and located a man matching the offender’s description. Evanston police placed the man in custody, searched him and recovered $410 in cash. The man was then transported back to the scene for further investigation, which subsequently resulted in his identification as the offender, said Commander Tom Guenther, public information officer of the Evanston Police Department.
The man, a 40-year old resident of Chicago, allegedly approached the sales clerk at Robby’s Communications with his hand in his coat pocket and implied that he had a gun, said the Commander. He then ordered the sales clerk to open the cash register, and then led her to the back of the store ordering her to stay in the bathroom, said the Commander. The man then removed all monies from the cash register and left the store, he said.
The man has been charged with one felony count of aggravated robbery, said Commander Guenther.