Niles robbery suspect could be linked to Naperville case, police say
Police say a man who robbed a Niles CVS pharmacy with a hypodermic needle he claimed was filled with HIV-positive blood may be linked to similar robberies in Naperville and elsewhere.
On Friday, Chicago police took a man into custody during an armed robbery of a Jewel store on the 2900 block of Ashland Avenue in the city. Through that investigation, Chicago police discovered that the man matched the description of a similar armed robbery that happened in Niles on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at a CVS store in the 9600 block of Milwaukee Avenue.
The Cook County state's attorney's office charged Sanjay Malhotra, 49, of Chicago, with one count of armed robbery in the Niles case.
No charges have been filed yet in the armed robbery that happened last week in Naperville, police said.
"The descriptions of the male were relatively similar," Niles Sgt. Robert Tornabene said.
In the Naperville case, two people entered a CVS pharmacy just before 6 a.m. Nov. 15 and threatened store employees with the needle while stealing several medications from the business.
"We think they are (connected)," Naperville Sgt. Nick Liberio said. "We are comparing videos and information with other departments. There's similarities to other cases in other jurisdictions."
It's unknown when additional charges could be filed against Malhotra, officials said.