Palatine man charged with gas station robbery

A 58-year-old Palatine man who prosecutors say robbed a Palatine gas station using a rusty, unloaded World War II-era gun was ordered held on $200,000 bail Friday.

Stephen Roche, who is a regular customer at the gas station on the 0-100 block of Northwest Highway, entered about 11:20 a.m. Thursday and displayed a semiautomatic handgun, said Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Caitlin Casey.

He told the clerk to open the cash register, Casey said. The clerk complied and hit the panic button alerting police to the robbery.

The clerk then ran to a gas station across the street and called police. Roche left with a carton of cigarettes and $340 in cash, Casey said.

Police located Roche about a block away and recovered from him an unloaded, .35 caliber semiautomatic handgun, which Roche claimed was a World War II relic his father gave him, Casey said.

The clerk identified the robber as Roche, who was also seen at the register in a surveillance photograph, authorities said.

If convicted, Roche faces a maximum of 30 years in prison. He next appears in court on Feb. 3.