Armed robberies in Arlington Hts., Buffalo Grove might be linked

A Wheeling woman arrested over the weekend for a Buffalo Grove armed robbery might be connected to two similar incidents in Arlington Heights, police said.

Karin Elizabeth Bach, 59, of the 500 block of West Lodge Trail in Wheeling, was arrested and charged with aggravated robbery, police said.

Police said that a woman wearing a long black coat and a black stocking hat entered Payless Tobacco, 1169 N. McHenry Road in Buffalo Grove, around 5:40 p.m. Saturday.

She was armed with a handgun and ordered the person behind the counter to remove money from the register, police said.

The woman left the area in a silver Pontiac. A customer walking into the store jotted down the license plate number after he was told there had been a robbery, police said, and he and two others followed the woman in their car.

Police found the car and the woman at the intersection of Buffalo Grove and Lake-Cook roads, where Bach was taken into custody.

Police said they found a replica gun, the money and a pack of cigarettes taken from the store inside Bach's purse.

Buffalo Grove police spokesman Todd Kupsak said $171 was taken and it was returned to the store.

Bach was taken to bond court Sunday and released on a $25,000 bond. Her next court date is March 29 in Waukegan.

Kupsak said that Bach told police about two other robberies in Arlington Heights while she was being interviewed.

Arlington Heights police said those robberies both occurred on Feb. 3. The first robbery was around 6 p.m. at China Wok, 1451 E. Palatine Road. The second robbery was at 1418 E. Hintz Road around 9 p.m.

A gun was implied in the first robbery, police said, and displayed in the second one.

Arlington Heights police said they are still interviewing Bach as a suspect and may have charges in a few days.