Bank robbery suspect flees, crashes on I-294

Federal authorities filed a bank robbery charge Wednesday against a 46-year-old Chicago man accused of holding up a Lake County bank Tuesday then crashing his getaway car while fleeing police.

Alan H. Vasquez, of the 3200 block of West Arthington Street, also faces misdemeanor fleeing and eluding and driving with a revoked driver's license charges stemming from the chase, which ended when his car slammed into another vehicle just off the Tri-State Tollway near Glenview.

A criminal complaint filed Wednesday accuses Vasquez of robbing the Associated Bank at 34354 N. Route 45 in Third Lake about 3:10 p.m. Tuesday. An FBI agent's affidavit states Vasquez approached a teller, placed a white plastic bag onto the counter and said "This is a robbery. Put the money in the bag."

After receiving $3,851 cash, Vasquez drove away in a white Nissan Altima, authorities said. Lake County Sheriff's deputies later spotted the car in the area of Peterson Road and Route 45 in Libertyville and tried to pull it over.

Vasquez fled, driving on several side streets before traveling north, then east onto Route 120 to southbound Interstate 94, the sheriff's office said.

Deputies dropped their pursuit when the car crossed into Cook County, but detectives in unmarked squad cars continued to follow the Nissan as it merged onto I-294 then got off the interstate at Willow Road near Glenview, the sheriff's office said.

According to the FBI affidavit, Vasquez attempted to drive around a car stopped at exit's toll plaza, but struck a concrete median and then the other vehicle. The collisions left his car immobilized, allowing sheriff's detectives to place him under arrest, court documents state.

The driver and passenger in the second car were taken to a hospital with injuries that are not life-threatening, and evidence from the bank robbery was found in Vasquez's possession, officials said.