Two juveniles charged for robbery following dating app incidents in Elgin

Two juveniles were charged for robbery and other offenses relating to one of the recent MeetMe dating app robberies in Elgin, police said Thursday.

Authorities responded Wednesday night around 10:30 p.m. to the 300 block of Buckingham Court to a citizen's report of a suspicious incident, according to a Facebook post from the Elgin Police Department.

A Neighborhood Watch meeting informed residents of recent robberies in the Buckingham Court Area, and a Neighborhood Watch member observed an unfamiliar vehicle that parked in proximity to past incidents. The person spoke with the people in the vehicle who said they were waiting for someone they had met on the MeetMe app, police said. The resident told them about the recent robberies and the vehicle left immediately.

After the vehicle left, the citizen saw two people running from the area, police said. Officers were given descriptions of the subjects and found them close by, both carrying pellet guns.

The two juveniles, a male and a female, were taken to the Elgin Police Department for further investigation, police said. Both were charged with armed robbery, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated battery relating to one of the recent MeetMe incidents.

They were transported to the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center to await a detention hearing.

"This is a great example of our Neighborhood Watch being informed and helping us to solve crimes," Police Chief Ana Lalley said in the post. "Because our residents are engaged with the police department, information was quickly provided and officers were able to locate the suspects and prevent further incidents. We want to thank the resident for their assistance and for being a proactive member of Neighborhood Watch."