Three charged in Downers Grove Radio Shack armed robbery
Bond was set at $1 million Friday morning for each of three men charged in a Wednesday armed robbery of a Downers Grove Radio Shack.
Carlos Brown, 20, of Downers Grove; BL Jones, 19, of Chicago; and Brandon Jones, 19, of Woodridge are each charged with two counts of armed robbery with a firearm and are in custody at the DuPage County jail.
Brandon Jones and Brown entered the Radio Shack at 7319 Lemont Road in Downers Grove about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday while BL Jones stayed in a nearby vehicle. Jones displayed a black .38-caliber revolver before leading the clerk to the washroom and putting him on his knees facing a wall, Assistant State’s Attorney Romas Mockaitis said in bond court.
After taking the clerk’s keys, the men had difficulty opening a locked case containing cellphones so they brought the clerk back out to do it.
After unlocking the case, Mockaitis said Brandon Jones pepper sprayed the clerk’s face while BL Jones and Brown filled a wastebasket with 15 cellphones and fled.
On their way out, the men also pepper sprayed a female customer who was attempting to enter the store, authorities said.
Another woman heading into the store realized what was taking place and took down a detailed description of the men, their clothes and their vehicle. She followed the men at a safe distance, authorities said, until police arrived to continue the pursuit near 75th Street and I-355.
Mockaitis said police pulled the men’s green Nissan over on westbound I-88 near the I-355 merge. As officers approached the vehicle, with guns drawn, the men fled west on I-88.
Authorities said the men threw the gun and several pieces of clothing from the vehicle during the pursuit. All those items were recovered.
Officers pursued the vehicle to Naperville’s Monarch Landing senior community at 2255 Monarch Drive where a gated entrance trapped the men. Brandon Jones and Brown fled on foot into the gated community before being arrested. BL Jones stayed in the vehicle where he was taken into custody.
The next court date for Brown and BL Jones is scheduled for Dec. 23. Brandon Jones’ next court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 31.