Suspect held in robberies at Des Plaines, Palatine banks

A 26-year-old Chicago man suspected in three Northwest suburban bank robberies was in custody Wednesday.

FBI authorities say they expect the suspect to be charged with robberies at two TCF Bank branches in Des Plaines Jewel-Oscos, and one TCF Bank in a Jewel-Osco in Palatine. The robberies occurred between Oct. 30 and Nov. 18.

The suspect was in his car on Chicago's South Side when Des Plaines police arrested him without incident at 2:20 p.m. Tuesday, Des Plaines police Cmdr. Rich Rozkuszka said. Chicago police provided backup.

It was the same vehicle used in the Palatine robbery, police said.

At Des Plaines police headquarters, the suspect signed written statements admitting to the two robberies, investigators said. Palatine police said they also got a confession.

Des Plaines and Palatine police we able to identify the suspect by comparing footage from the banks' cameras, police said.

Investigators have ruled him out as a suspect in other recent bank robberies in Arlington Heights and Rolling Meadows.

The three robberies were: Oct. 30, inside the Jewel-Osco at 1500 S. Lee St., Des Plaines; Nov. 8, inside the Jewel-Osco at 819 S. Elmhurst Road in Des Plaines; and Nov. 18, inside the Jewel-Osco at 423 E. Dundee Road, Palatine.

In all three robberies, a weapon was implied but never shown to bank tellers, police said.

The total amount of money he's accused of stealing wasn't available Wednesday. Earlier police reports said $4,816 was taken in the Oct. 30 robbery.

In an unrelated case, the suspect was convicted of bribery and attempted aggravated robbery in 2001 in DeKalb County, court records show.