Suspects caught in Elmhurst, Wood Dale robberies

Two men suspected of armed robberies late last month in Wood Dale and Elmhurst have been taken into custody, police said Friday.

Diego Garcia, 20, and Christopher Accardo, 25, both of Franklin Park, were charged with armed robbery by the DuPage County state's attorney's office.

They each face up to 30 years in prison and up to $25,000 in fines, authorities said.

Wood Dale and Elmhurst police worked together to search for the men, who they say committed armed robberies in both towns just before 11 p.m. Nov. 30.

In Wood Dale, two men wearing hoodies approached a pedestrian on Irving Park Road around 10:30 p.m., one brandishing a handgun and the other carrying a knife, Deputy Chief Greg Vesta said.

They took some of the victim's personal belongings but did not find any money, Vesta said. No one was injured.

About 20 minutes later on Nov. 30, a similar crime occurred in Elmhurst. Police said a victim was robbed in a parking lot on the 800 block of North York Road. There were no injuries and the suspects got away with an unknown amount of cash.

Police from both towns said the suspects were traveling in a mid-1990s Mercury Grand Marquis or a Ford Crown Victoria with black rims.

Wood Dale and Elmhurst detectives were investigating leads when they learned Oak Park police on Dec. 8 arrested Diego Garcia who matched their suspect description after he was involved in a similar crime there.

During the Oak Park crime, police said Garcia fired a handgun from the car, which matched the description of the car used in the DuPage County crimes.

After Garcia's arrest, Elmhurst police detectives said they learned Accardo was staying at a hotel on Mannheim Road. They found and questioned him and Accardo eventually confessed, police said.

Garcia later was charged with attempted homicide and is in Cook County jail on a $1 million bond. A $750,000 bond has been set for the DuPage County charges. Accardo is in DuPage County jail and has a $250,000 bond.