Wheeling boy robbed teens with pellet gun, police say

Arlington Heights police have arrested a 16-year-old Wheeling boy on a charge of aggravated armed robbery alleging he held up three suburban teens Friday night at a village gas station.

The suspect, whose name is being withheld because he is charged as a juvenile, has been released to the custody his parents, said Douglas Hajek, Arlington Heights Police crime prevention officer.

Police are searching for a second suspect but have not released a description.

The three male victims were a 17-year-old from Palatine, and a 17-year-old and 19-year-old from Hoffman Estates.

The holdup occurred about 9:22 p.m. Friday in the 2100 block of North Arlington Heights Road. Police said a witness driving past the gas station reported seeing the victims crossing Arlington Heights Road when the offenders appeared and pointed something at them.

The witness told police it seemed the victims were being directed to move toward the rear of the station, at which point the witness called 911, police said.

Officers responded and detained several suspects, including the juvenile who was arrested, at the intersection of Valley Lane and Arlington Heights Road, police said.

An investigation revealed that the offenders pointed an air-soft gun at the victims and demanded they empty their pockets, police said. The offenders took cash, two cellphones, an iPod and a wallet, all of which was recovered from the suspect, Hajek said.