Suspect, cashier exchange phone numbers before Des Plaines robbery

Des Plaines police have arrested several people in connection with an armed robbery at a gas station Monday in which a suspect exchanged phone numbers with the cashier, police said.

The employee at a Marathon gas station, 1222 Lee St., told investigators a man and woman, who both appeared intoxicated, walked into the store Monday.

The woman told the employee she was interested in him, and he entered his phone number into her phone, police said. The woman then called the employee's phone so he would have her number, too.

While they talked, the employee told the man to sit down because he appeared intoxicated. When the employee walked around from behind the cash register to help the man find a seat, the man pulled out a "huge" black knife, police said. The knife cut the employee's cheek when the man attempted to put the blade on his throat, police said.

The suspect pushed the employee toward the register and reportedly told the employee, "Give me $100 or whatever you got," police said.

The man took cash, and he and the woman ran to a silver vehicle parked at a nearby fast-food restaurant, police said. The vehicle then drove south on Lee Street, police said.

Officers have several people in custody, Cmdr. Chris Mierzwa said, but the police department has not announced charges.