Police officer stopping in for a drink halts West Chicago gas station holdup, prosecutors say
A man trying to rob a West Chicago has station early Tuesday was stopped in the act by a police officer who dropped in to buy a beverage, authorities said.
Filip Simonovic, 43, of the 100 block of South Prairie Avenue, Bloomingdale, is charged with attempted armed robbery with a firearm, unlawful possession of a weapon and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, all felonies, DuPage County prosecutors said Wednesday.
He’s also charged with misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol and transportation of open alcohol by a driver.
According to the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office, a police officer went into the Thornton’s station on Route 59 at 1:25 a.m. Tuesday and selected drinks from the cooler.
As he went to pay, the clerk indicated that another person at the counter, later identified as Simonovic, had pointed a gun at him.
Officers later found two handguns on Simonovic, and discovered he was wearing body armor underneath a button-up shirt, prosecutors said. Police also found three more guns and open alcohol in his vehicle, officials said.
According to prosecutors, Simonovic approached the counter appearing to buy cigarettes. When the clerk began to ring them up, Simonovic took out a handgun, told the clerk “don’t do anything stupid” and demanded money out of two cash registers.
He later pulled another gun out of his waistband and pointed it at the clerk, prosecutors said.
Police say Simonovic had a blood alcohol content of .147 — well-above the legal threshold of .08 — when he was arrested.
According to a prosecutor’s petition to detain Simonovic, he told police he had been having a rough time lately and pulled the guns out as a joke. He also said was wearing the body armor because it looked good under his shirt and claimed he’d asked the clerk for mustard, not money, the petition states.
Simonovic, was ordered to remain in custody at the DuPage County jail pending his next scheduled court appearance on June 23.