Rolling Meadows man charged with convenience store robbery

A Rolling Meadows man who prosecutors say robbed an Arlington Heights convenience store was ordered held on $100,000 bail Friday.

Giovani Tapia, 23, was charged with aggravated robbery, a class one felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Prosecutors say Tapia entered a 7-Eleven store in the 1700 block of W. Algonquin Road about 11:30 p.m. March 18 wearing a winter hat and sunglasses.

Tapia pointed what appeared to be a semiautomatic handgun at the cashier's head and ordered him to empty the register drawer, said Cook County Assistant State's Attorney David Shin.

Tapia left with between $90 and $100, Shin said.

The store's video surveillance captured the robbery and helped lead police to Tapia, whose background consists only of minor traffic offenses, Shin said. Clothes in the defendant's possession match clothes the videotape showed the robber wearing, Shin said. Additionally, police recovered a BB gun that matched the description of the weapon used in the robbery, Shin said.

Questioned by the police, Tapia admitted robbing the store and said he did it "to help support his family," Shin said.

Cook County Judge Joseph Cataldo also ordered Tapia surrender any weapons he might possess and ordered him to have no contact with the convenience store.

Tapia next appears in court on April 24.