Gurnee police seeking three who robbed woman at gas station

Gurnee police are searching for three suspects wanted for robbing a Glenview woman at gunpoint at a gas station Friday morning, then firing two shots at a clerk who tried to help.

Neither the victim nor clerk was injured in the attack at the Gurnee Shell station at 6050 Route 134, just outside Gurnee Mills.

Police Cmdr. Jay Patrick said the 23-year-old woman was seated in her car in front of the gas pumps with her wallet on her lap, when the thief approached, reached in and tried to grab the wallet.

Patrick said the woman tussled with the thief over the wallet, prompting the suspect to lift his shirt and show off the butt of a 9 mm hand gun.

The woman still refused to give up, Patrick said, so the thief grabbed her by the hair, dragged her from the car, threw her to the ground, and snatched the wallet. He fled the gas station with a second suspect and headed toward the Toys 'R' Us store, directly behind the Shell station.

Patrick said a clerk from the gas station ran out of the store to give chase. That's when the first suspect pulled out the gun and fired two shots at the clerk. The spent shell casings were recovered from the toy store parking lot.

Both shots missed, Patrick said, but prompted the clerk to stop his pursuit. The victim and clerk refused medical treatment at the scene.

"As expected, they were both just really shaken up," Patrick said.

Management of the Shell station was unavailable for comment Friday.

The two suspects fled to parking lot D at Gurnee Mills and jumped into a pickup truck, driven by the third suspect, Patrick said.

The black-and-gold 2004 Ford F 150 extended cab left Gurnee Mills and was seen heading east on Route 132 toward the Tri-State Tollway.

Police officers drove quickly down I-94, but never saw the truck. Officials believe the suspects did not enter I-94 and, instead, continued east on Route 132, Patrick said.

The first suspect is described as a 6-foot tall male in his late 20s or early 30s, with medium build, short hair and a dark complexion. He was wearing a dark gray hooded sweatshirt and light blue jeans. He displayed a gun with a plastic handle.

The second suspect is also a 6-foot-tall male in his early 20s. He also has a dark complexion and was wearing a light gray hooded sweatshirt.

There is no description of the third suspect, who was driving the truck, Patrick said.

Anyone with information regarding the hold up should call police at (847) 599-7000.