Man denies robbery, battery charges

A Waukegan man police say beat and robbed a Gurnee store owner who employed him from time to time pleaded not guilty Wednesday in Lake County Circuit Court.

Theopolis Owens, 18, is charged with robbery and aggravated battery in the May 5 attack.

Assistant State's Attorney Brett Henne said Owens, of the 1400 block of Lewis Avenue, had been paid to load a truck for Gurnee Discount Furniture on the day of the attack.

Shortly after being paid, police said, Owens entered the store, grabbed the manager of the store from behind and struck him several times in the face.

Owens then reached into the man's pocket, took a wallet containing several hundred dollars and fled in the truck he had just loaded.

Witnesses saw Owens get into the truck and told police the license number, Henne said, and Owens was arrested when Zion police stopped the vehicle a short time later.

Police searched Owens' apartment and found several hundred dollars in the lining of one of his coats, Henne said.

Associate Judge George Bridges scheduled a trial of the case for June 29 and ordered Owens, who is held on $250,000 bond, to appear in court June 23.