Two men accused of attacking a mailman in Elmwood Park Saturday also ran a marijuana grow house nearby in Chicago’s Mont Clare neighborhood, police say.
Rolando Estrada, 34, of the 2900 block of N. 73rd Court, Elmwood Park; and Johan Arnulfo Madrid, 33, of Los Angeles; were arrested at 3:54 p.m. April 14 in 2900 block of 73rd Court. Estrada was charged with armed robbery, manufacturing and delivery of marijuana, and possession of marijuana over 5,000 grams. Madrid was also charged with armed robbery, manufacturing and delivery of marijuana, and possession of marijuana over 5,000 grams.
Elmwood Park police had been looking for Estrada and Madrid since April 11, when they’re accused of robbing the mailman at gunpoint on the 2100 block of 74th Avenue. The two allegedly took the mailman’s wallet and fled the scene in a green 2005 Volkswagen Touareg.
Mark Reynolds, Chicago spokesperson for U.S. Postal Service, confirmed the incident took place and the worker was injured, but did not suffer serious injuries. Tammy Kaiser, spokesperson for the United States Postal Inspection Service said the incident is currently being investigated, but would not comment further.
Elmwood Park Police Chief Frank Fagiano said at 3:54 p.m. April 14, one of his patrol officers spotted the two men walking down the street.
“When he saw them, he requested other officers to the scene and they made the arrest,” he said.
Fagiano said both men exercised their right to remain silent, but his detectives were able to gain more information from other investigative leads on the two men and where they might have kept the postal worker’s wallet and the weapons they used during the robbery. The department then was granted a warrant to search a storefront building at 6911 W. Grand Ave. in Chicago, which Estrada had rented.
Elmwood Park police officers, along with the support of Chicago Police Department and United States Postal Inspector’s office, searched the location and discovered a marijuana growing operation inside.
Fagiano said 269 marijuana plants were found inside the property, along with lighting, humidifiers, scales and marijuana extract, which is often put in baked goods like brownies. The gun used in the April 11 robbery was also recovered, as well as the mailman’s wallet.
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“There were pots with marijuana in them in plant form,” Fagiano said. “It was a grow house and the storefront’s windows were blacked out.”
There was no one in the location at the time the search warrant was issued, but Fagiano believes Estrada lived there because of domestic problems at his address in Elmwood Park. He said police were called to the residence in February in connection with a domestic dispute.
Fagiano credits his officers and detectives for putting in a lot of hard work to make the arrest.
“They worked tirelessly and did an outstanding job,” he said. “A lot of work and a lot of man hours were put in by our investigative unit.”
Madrid and Estrada are scheduled to appear in court on April 22. Fagiano said more charges could still be brought against the two men by the state’s attorney’s office.