Chicago man charged in 2 DuPage armed robberies
A Chicago man is being held without bail on two counts of armed robbery with a firearm after stealing several hundred dollars from two DuPage County businesses, authorities said.
Devonte Johnson, 20, of the 7800 block of South Carpenter Street, appeared Tuesday morning before DuPage Judge Liam Brennan.
Authorities said the first robbery occurred around 1:30 p.m. Saturday when two men entered the Domino's Pizza at 5531 Belmont Road in Downers Grove. One of the men, later identified as Johnson, walked behind the counter, pointed a gun at the cashier and ordered the employee to open the register, prosecutors said.
Johnson and his accomplice took money from the register, and then Johnson ordered the clerk at gunpoint to open the safe, prosecutors said. Johnson took the additional money and the two men fled in a silver Mercedes-Benz that was stolen earlier in the day when it was left running and unlocked outside a store on Boughton Road in Bolingbrook, the prosecutors said.
Investigators said they learned that about 10 minutes before the robbery at Domino's, two men with similar descriptions had robbed at gunpoint the Dunkin' Donuts store at 4300 Route 53, Lisle. Authorities say Johnson and his unknown accomplice were the men responsible for that armed robbery as well.
Authorities believe the suspects then drove to Broadview and Forest Park in western Cook County, where they are accused of robbing two Dunkin' Donut stores. A police chase ended in a crash.
All four people in the car - including two juveniles - ran off, authorities said. Johnson was taken into custody later Saturday evening when Oak Park police found him hiding in an alley. Police are still searching for his adult accomplice.
Johnson has refused to tell authorities who the man is, Assistant State's Attorney Jennifer Lindt told Brennan Tuesday morning. Lindt said Johnson told police someone else in the car had given him the gun, but he refused to say who.
Assistant public defender Jennifer Sroka asked for house arrest with electronic monitoring, or cash bail. She said Johnson had no history of criminal activity, has a learning disability and depression, and lives with his aunt; his mother died in 2010, she said.
One of the juveniles was out on bail for an unlawful use of a weapon charge for a Dec. 26 case in Cook County and was wearing an ankle monitor.
"It is alleged that Mr. Johnson armed himself, traveled to DuPage County, robbed two businesses and threatened at least one individual at gunpoint who was just trying to make an honest living," DuPage State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a written statement. "This type of violent behavior will not be tolerated in DuPage County and if found guilty Mr. Johnson will find himself behind bars for a significant amount of time."
"To put it bluntly, Mr. Johnson decided to commit these crimes in the wrong county," DuPage Sheriff James Mendrick said. "We take this type of crime very seriously in DuPage County. Now justice will be served at a level commensurate to his crimes."
Johnson is scheduled for arraignment on Jan. 29.