One down, one to go in FBI's hunt for serial bank robbers
One down, one to go.
An intense FBI manhunt for a pair of serial bank robbers believed responsible for 13 heists in the suburbs this year - including seven this month alone - hit pay dirt Wednesday with the capture of one of the suspects.
Federal authorities late Thursday afternoon announced the arrest of Corey Lewis, 27, of Bolingbrook in connection with the Sept. 20 stickup of a TCF Bank in Westchester.
Although he's charged only in that robbery, authorities suspect Lewis held up four other banks in a nine-day stretch that began Sept. 18, including locations in Lisle, Glen Ellyn and Rolling Meadows, according to the FBI.
An affidavit filed along with the criminal complaint Thursday gives much of the credit for the arrest to a Westchester police detective who spotted Lewis driving through the West suburb Wednesday afternoon and recognized him from his work investigating the Sept. 20 heist.
Unfinished business
The hunt continues for the second serial robber, who authorities say has held up eight suburban banks since January in towns including Woodridge, Elgin, Buffalo Grove, Rosemont, Des Plaines, Glen Ellyn and Lombard.
The key to his capture might be figuring out where he's going to strike next, FBI Special Agent Garrett Croon tells us. That's why federal agents are intensely studying the robber's habits - everything from the day of week and time of day he operates to his chosen locations and methods of escape - to create a picture of where and when he'll rob again.
“We want to know what is his issue that's causing him to rob banks,” Croon said. “We're doing everything we can to put together a pattern and figure it out.” Authorities don't believe the two robbery sprees are related.
The FBI believes serial bandits like these two are more dangerous than more novice robbers.
“The more frequently they do this, the more risk there is,” Croon says. “Who knows how much money will be sufficient for them?”
Unmasked
One thing that stands out about the still-unidentified robber is his total lack of effort to keep his identity secret.
Other than occasionally tossing on a pair of sunglasses, he's done nothing to hide his face or make it difficult to identify him.
You would think such brashness makes him an easy find, but Croon said there could be several reasons he remains elusive. Among them, he could be an out-of-towner who travels to the suburbs and robs banks while he's here. Croon cited the case of a long-haul trucker who, before his capture, robbed banks up and down the East Coast while on the job.
If you know something about the robber, the FBI asks that you call its Chicago Field Office at (312) 421-6700.
Doggone cute
It wasn't quite “101 Dalmatians,” but Arlington Heights police this week found themselves with 20 dachshunds on their hands.
Officers found the dogs - a mix of males and females, adults and puppies - while responding to a domestic-disturbance call Monday on the south side of the village.
The dogs didn't appear in poor condition, but the circumstances that brought officers to the home - as well as a village ordinance limiting people to four dogs per residence - meant police had to take custody, Cmdr. Shawn Gyorke told us.
When police took to Facebook Tuesday morning with photos of the dogs and a request to help find them good homes, the response was overwhelming - more than 2,600 shares and nearly 1,900 comments, many with offers to adopt the dogs or help care for them.
“We also received dozens, if not hundreds, of calls from people wanting to aid or adopt them,” Gyorke said. “The post was tremendously successful, almost too successful, but I'd rather have that than not have any way to take care of these dogs.”
The dogs have been placed with a rescue agency that will place them in good homes, Gyorke said. The department will update its Facebook page with details about how people can adopt from those agencies.
They're back
After a successful run over the summer that saw some of its deputies reach something close to folk-hero status, the Lake County sheriff's office has signed up for another season of the hit TV show “Live PD.”
The A&E Network program live-broadcasts the exploits of police officers across the nation every Friday and Saturday night. Camera crews tailed 10 Lake County deputies and detectives for six weeks this summer.
The new season begins Oct. 6. Along with Lake County deputies, it will feature law enforcement officers from Richland County, South Carolina; Jeffersonville, Indiana; the Utah Department of Public Safety; Spokane County, Washington; and Pasco County, Florida.
Volunteer cops
No guarantee it'll get you on TV, but here's a chance to join the Lake County sheriff's office.
It is accepting applications for reserve deputy. The volunteer unit assists other sheriff's office divisions and municipal police departments in emergency or disaster situations, traffic and crowd control, missing persons searches, crime scene evidence searches, and other tasks.
Candidates must be at least 21, a U.S. citizen, be a high school graduate (or equivalent), have no criminal record, be in good health and live in Lake County. Applications are available at the sheriff's office, 25 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Waukegan, or at reservedeputy.com. The deadline is Oct. 20.
Got a tip? Send an email to copsandcrime@dailyherald.com or call (847) 427-4483.