An 18-year-old Chicago man and a 22-year-old Itasca man have been charged in recent robberies, including those police said took place at businesses in Elmwood Park, Franklin Park and Northlake.
Police said William Flowers, 18, of Chicago, and Brandon Pence, 22, of Itasca, are accused of allegedly using pellet guns to rob businesses on March 23. Police said no one was hurt in the robberies.
Flowers was charged with armed robbery. He appeared in court on March 25 and was ordered held on $250,000 blond. Pence was charged with robbery. He appeared in court on March 26 and was ordered held on $200,000 bond.
Police said the first reported robbery allegedly happened at 2:15 a.m. March 23 at a gas station at 2144 N. Harlem Ave. in Elmwood Park.
“Two guys entered the store and used a weapon to rob it,” Elmwood Park Police Chief Frank Fagiano said. “A white vehicle was also involved, based on the video from the surveillance equipment we had examined.”
Police described the vehicle as a white, “older model mini SUV” missing its rear spare tire and with a horizontal stripe across the passenger doors.
Police said after the vehicle fled the gas station in Elmwood Park, it was next seen at 3:13 a.m. that day at a store at 162 W. North Ave. in Northlake.
Northlake Police Sgt. Juan Duarte said one man entered the store and used what looked like two black semi-automatic handguns to demand cash from the register and a cellphone and wallet from a store employee. Police said once the gunman had what he wanted, security footage from the business reportedly showed him returning to the white SUV and the vehicle fleeing north on Roy Avenue.
A third armed robbery that day happened in Franklin Park around 9:45 p.m. at a gas station at 9001 Belmont Ave. Franklin Park Director of Police Michael Witz said three people were involved — men matching Pence and Flower’s descriptions, as well as a juvenile.
Fagiano said the next night, an Elmwood Park officer saw the white vehicle and followed it to First Avenue and Lake Street “to perform a felony stop on it.” Officers reportedly identified the driver of the vehicle as Pence, police said. Once Pence was in custody, officers were able to track down Flowers at a motel off of Mannheim Road and arrest him, too, Fagiano said.
Elmwood Park and Franklin Park police allege that the guns recovered from Pence and Flowers were replica-style pellet guns. A juvenile taken into custody last week was awaiting charges because the investigation into the armed robberies is still ongoing.
Alex V. Hernandez is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
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