Palatine cops looking for man who held knife to throat of 12-year-old

Palatine police are looking for a man who robbed a gas station on Christmas Day and held a knife to a young boy's throat.

Around 11:45 a.m., police say a man walked into the Clark gas station, 5 W. Palatine Road, and asked the clerk for a pack of cigarettes.

The man then walked behind the counter, showed a knife and demanded money.

The store clerk's 12-year-old son was sitting on a stool. As the man walked behind the counter, he grabbed the clerk's son and held the knife to the boy's throat and again demanded all the money, according to police.

After taking an undisclosed amount of money from the cash register, the man took cigarettes and fled on foot.

The clerk's son sustained a small cut on his finger and was treated on scene by the Palatine paramedics.

The suspected robber is described as a male, approximately 5-feet, 11-inches, 180 pounds and wearing a hooded sweatshirt. He was last seen running northbound from the gas station.

Police are currently working with the store owner on getting video surveillance footage from within the store.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at (847) 359-9000.