Robberies at suburban Mexican restaurants, stores linked

Investigators from six police departments are searching for a man believed to be behind a rash of robberies at Mexican restaurants and stores in the suburbs - including three that occurred within an hour Friday in Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village and Schaumburg.

"There appears to be a connection," Des Plaines Police Chief Bill Kushner said of the holdups, which also have been reported in Palatine, Mount Prospect and Chicago.

The first of Friday's robberies occurred about 7 p.m. when a man walked into El Marcedito, a convenience store at 1053 N. Salem in Schaumburg, picked out a bag of chips and a soda, and then demanded cash at gunpoint when the clerk opened the register, Schaumburg police Sgt. Christy Lindhurst said.

The clerk emptied the register, giving the robber about $1,300, Lindhurst said.

About 7:50 p.m., a man entered Mariscos Miramar, 1251 E. Higgins Road in Elk Grove Village, and showed a handgun, police said. The robber got about $500 from the restaurant, police said.

"It does bear a striking resemblance to crimes committed in Schaumburg and Des Plaines," Elk Grove Village Deputy Chief Mike Gaspari said.

Less than 30 minutes later, a man robbed Nuevo Mexico, a grocery store at 1920 Mannheim Road in Des Plaines, police said. The robber put a few items on the counter, then pulled a handgun from his waistband when the clerk opened the register, police said. The man pointed the gun at the employee, who handed over cash, police said.

In each case, the robber is described as a Hispanic man in his 40s or 50s, standing about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 180 pounds, police said. The man wore a black jacket, blue jeans, a baseball cap and brown work boots.

The same man is suspected in a Dec. 7 robbery of Tortas Locas, 1827 W. Algonquin Road in Mount Prospect. Police said a man wearing a black mask demanded money at gunpoint and left with cash in a silver SUV.