Vernon Hills robbery suspects held on bail

The people who police say were interrupted while trying to rob a Vernon Hills grocery store Thursday morning have been ordered held on $1 million bail each.

Chicago residents Eliu Villicana-Mancilla, 26, his brother Jose Villicana-Mancilla, 23, and Juaquin Lopez, 20, along with Christian Martinez-Guerrero, 18, and Monica Cabral, 19, both of the 100 block of Church Street in Wauconda, are all charged with attempted armed robbery.

Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Stephen Scheller said the five, who are also suspects in armed robberies in McHenry and Boone counties, entered the La Tienda del Pueblo grocery around 8:30 a.m. Thursday.

The group was already under surveillance by the U.S. Marshals Service and McHenry County sheriff’s office, and Scheller said officers from those agencies were joined by Vernon Hills police and Lake County sheriff’s officers on Thursday.

Police broke through the front door of the store on the 100 block of Townline Road as they watched the suspects tie up the woman who owns the store with her husband, Scheller said.

Three of the suspects were captured at the scene and two others after a short manhunt. No one was harmed and no money was stolen, Scheller said, and all of the suspects appeared before Associate Judge Raymond Collins on Friday.

Collins set the bonds and ordered Lopez and Jose Villicana-Mancilla to appear in court May 19, while the other suspects have a June 6 court date.

Scheller said attempted armed robbery carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison upon conviction.