Suspect in robberies outside Rivers Casino arrested
A suburban man wanted by police following a pair of robberies outside Rivers Casino in Des Plaines has been arrested, authorities announced Tuesday.
Kenneth Lyke, 24, of the 1300 block of Caribou Lane in Hoffman Estates, also burglarized a store in Des Plaines where he formerly worked, police said.
Lyke is charged with two counts of robbery and one count of burglary.
The first robbery outside Rivers occurred Aug. 18.
A man was walking through the taxi boarding area to his car when a thief stole his wallet from a pocket, police said. The wallet reportedly contained $14,000.
The thief was seen leaving the area in a white sedan with Tennessee license plates. Surveillance video indicated the thief had been watching the victim inside Rivers, police said.
Police said they identified Lyke as the thief because Rivers employees had checked and recorded Lyke's ID the previous day.
The second robbery occurred Oct. 13. This time, a man was robbed while walking into the casino near the taxi boarding area, police said.
The robber approached him from behind, pushed him and stole his wallet from a back pocket, police said.
One of the victim's credit cards later was used in Buffalo Grove and Mundelein, police said.
The burglary occurred Oct. 15, at a business on the 800 block of West Oakton Street. According to police, Lyke took money out of a cash register and then left after being confronted by an employee.
The employee confronted Lyke again outside, but Lyke drove off and knocked the employee to the ground, causing cuts and scrapes, police said.
The theft was captured on surveillance video.
A warrant for Lyke's arrest was issued in November. He was arrested in Libertyville on Friday and turned over to Des Plaines police.