Police arrest, link man to 17 suburban heists

Police have arrested an Arlington Heights man they say is responsible for at least 17 armed robberies committed over the last seven months in the northwest suburbs.

Piotr Jaworowski, 31, of 1118 N. Dale Ave., admitted to the armed robberies during questioning Thursday, Arlington Heights police said.

"He is a one-man crime wave," said Arlington Heights Sgt. Richard Marcinkowski.

Jaworowski's crime spree began in October 2007 with an armed robbery at a Shell gas station in Prospect Heights, police said.

Jaworowski targeted gas stations, convenience stores, liquor stores and food markets in Arlington Heights, Winnetka, Lake Zurich, Prospect Heights, Palatine, Wheeling, Mount Prospect and Buffalo Grove, according to authorities.

Law enforcement officials from those jurisdictions created a task force to find Jaworowski after an Arlington Heights police officer conducted a traffic stop on a person matching the suspect's description.

On Wednesday, Jaworowski was followed from his home through Cook County and into Lake County.

He reportedly targeted a gas station at Grass Lake Road and Route 59 near Antioch, entered the station and robbed the clerk using a weapon, police said.

The task force contacted the Lake County Sheriff's Department and deputies conducted a traffic stop on the suspect and took him into custody without incident, police said.

Lake County deputies and investigators from assisting agencies recovered the weapon as well as the majority of the money Jaworowski threw out the window of his 2000 Dodge Caravan as police were approaching, said Arlington Heights Cmdr. Kenneth Galinski Jr.

Jaworowski is in Lake County jail and will have his first appearance in court this morning .