Suspects in Vernon Hills robbery identified

The felons who tried to rob a Mexican grocery store in Vernon Hills Thursday have also been linked to armed robberies in McHenry and Boone counties, police officials announced Friday morning.

Two Wauconda residents and three Chicago residents have all been charged with attempted armed robbery for their role Thursday in the armed robbery of La Tienda del Pueblo at about 8:30 a.m. Thursday morning.

The suspects are Eliu Villicana-Mancilla, 26, of the 2600 block of Pulaski in Chicago, Jose Villicana-Mancilla, 23, of the 2500 block of Springfield in Chicago, Juaquin Lopez, 20, from the 4700 block of Sacramento in Chicago, Christian D. Martinez-Guerrero, 18, of the 100 block of Church Street in Wauconda, and Monica A. Cabral, 19, of the 100 block of Church Street in Wauconda.

Vernon Hills police say those five are still being held at the Vernon Hills Police Department.

They said two handguns were also recovered at the scene of the attempted armed robbery in the 100 block of Townline Road.

Officer Sharon Joseph said the five suspects all had been under surveillance by the U.S. Marshals Office before they jumped the store owner of La Tienda Del Pueblo Mexican grocery store on the 100 block of Townline Road for their roles in other armed robberies in the state.

Joseph said three of the five suspects entered La Tienda minutes after the owner unlocked the front door, while two others were in the parking lot as lookouts.

The three offenders inside the store, two armed with a hand gun, told the owner to lay down on the floor. They had begun to tie him up when the owner’s wife entered the store from the rear of the building, Joseph said.

They were in the process of putting her on the floor, Joseph said, when members of the Vernon Hills Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Office, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office broke through the glass front door of the store and moved in.

Joseph said one suspect in the store and the two lookouts were taken into custody immediately. However, two suspects escaped through the rear of the store and attempted to flee when police broke through the front door.

After the suspects escaped, police placed all schools in the area on lockdown, Joseph said. Joseph said the lockdown was lifted about 9:55 a.m. after police had the two escaped suspects in custody.

One of the guns used in the robbery was discovered at the scene, while divers found a second gun used in the heist in a nearby pond.