A guard tackled a robber and customers helped hold him for police as some of the $6,000 in stolen cash spilled around them at a West Lawn bank this week, according to court documents.
Rodney Hill Jr., 58, of Chicago, was arrested after he used what he claimed was a bomb to rob the BMO Harris branch bank, 6400 S. Pulaski Road, about 1:05 p.m. Monday, according to an FBI agent’s affidavit filed with the charges against him.
Hill went into the bank, approached a teller counter and set a white plastic bag with an empty wine box on the counter, according to the affidavit.
“Give me all the money from your drawer. I have a bomb in here, don’t press anything,” the robber said, according to the affidavit.
Hill took out another plastic bag and gave it to the teller, who filled it with money, according to the affidavit.
The bank security guard and another teller noticed the teller was putting money in the clear plastic bag and became suspicious.
The guard heard the robber say something like “don’t push nothing.” When the guard saw the robber move to walk out of the bank with the money, he “wrapped his arms around the robber and took him to the ground,” according to the affidavit.
A customer saw the guard struggling with Hill on the floor and went to help hold him down. A second customer heard the guard say something like “stop” and turned around.
That customer ran to help too, grabbing Hill by the hoodie he was wearing and helping to bring Hill to the ground.
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Hill repeatedly yelled, “Let me go.” When the guard replied, “No, you just robbed a bank,” Hill responded, “Let me go. It’s not your money,” according to the affidavit.
Hill dropped the clear bag to the floor and cash in various denominations spilled out.
When officers got to the bank, they saw the guard and the customers holding Hill down and surrounded by cash on the floor.
Hill stole a total of $6,408, according to the affidavit. When police took him into custody, Hill said his name was Rodney Jones, but he had documents on him that identified him as Rodney Hill Jr., according to the affidavit.
Hill appeared before U.S. District Court Judge Susan E. Cox on Tuesday and was ordered held in federal custody pending a detention hearing Friday, according to court records.