Palatine men charged in armed robbery that netted iPhone and case of pop

A pair of Palatine men face up to 30 years in prison after their arrests Wednesday on allegations they robbed two teenagers of an iPhone and case of soda while threatening them with a metal pipe.

Ivan Rodriguez, 22, of the 1200 block of Long Valley Drive, is charged with armed robbery in connection with stickup, which police said occurred at about 9:52 p.m. Tuesday in an apartment complex in the 1000 block of Bayside Drive.

He also faces charges of fleeing and eluding a police officer and driving without a valid license, after police say he sped away from an officer trying to stop him for questioning.

Also charged with armed robbery is Brandon Rodriguez, 18, of the 1300 block of Whitewater Lane.

Police did not immediately indicate whether the defendants are related.

According to Palatine police, an 18-year-old man and 19-year-old woman were walking through the apartment complex parking lot Tuesday night when they were approached by two men in a silver Volkswagen Jetta.

The men, who police now say were Ivan and Brandon Rodriguez, got out of the car, brandished a metal pipe and demanded the victims' belongings. They got the phone and soda before going back to the car and driving away, police said.

While interviewing the victims on the scene later Tuesday night, police said, an officer spotted a silver Volkswagen Jetta, and the victims confirmed that its occupants were the same men who had just robbed them.

The officer attempted to stop the vehicle, but it quickly sped away, police said. However, the officer was able to obtain the vehicle's license plate information.

The next day, police said, the silver Volkswagen was located and stopped at Rand and Frontage roads, and its driver, Ivan Rodriguez, fit the description of one of the offenders in the robbery.

He later confessed to his role in the robbery, naming Brandon Rodriguez as his accomplice, police said. The items stolen in the robbery later were recovered from them, police added.

Both defendants appeared in Cook County court Thursday, when a judge set bail for Ivan Rodriguez at $150,000, and for Brandon Rodriguez at $225,000. They are scheduled to return to court April 23.