Hoffman Estates man charged in Elgin gas station robbery attempt

A Hoffman Estates man has been charged with the attempted robbery of an Elgin gas station.

Joseph Linzy III, 24, of the 1300 block of Rebecca Drive, is facing one count of attempted robbery after he attempted to rob the Shell gas station at 300 S. State St. around 4 a.m. on Tuesday morning, Elgin police said in a news release.

Linzy entered the gas station, concealed his face and demanded money from the clerk who was standing behind protective glass, police said. The clerk called police and Linzy ran from the scene, according to the news release.

Police said they used the clerk's description and video surveillance footage to identify Linzy, who was found nearby and taken into custody.

"The vigilance of the employee and the use of technology in conjunction with both the business and police department helped to prevent a more serious crime from occurring and a swift arrest of the suspect," said Elgin Deputy Police Chief Bill Wolf.