Surveillance video leads officers to Palatine gas station armed robbery suspects

PALATINE, Ill. -- Two teenagers have been charged with robbing a gas station at gunpoint in northwest suburban Palatine last week and may be part of a string of armed robberies in the neighboring areas.

Two suspects held up the Marathon station at 20235 N. Rand Rd. about 11:25 p.m. March 22, according to a statement from the Lake County sheriff's office. After taking $300 in cash, they ran southbound toward Lake Cook Road.

Schaumburg police and sheriff's canine teams picked up the robbers' trail, which ended in the area of Lake Cook and Plum Grove roads, the sheriff's office said. Detectives issued a police bulletin for the suspects.

On Saturday, Des Plaines police informed the sheriff's office they had a juvenile in custody for another armed robbery who matched the description of one of the suspects in the Palatine robbery, according to the statement.

That robbery happened at the Nuevo Mexico grocery Saturday morning, and a quick-thinking clerk was able to turn the tables on the suspect.

Surveillance cameras captured the suspect, wearing a hoodie as he approached the counter with an item from the store. The juvenile is seen pulling out an air soft gun.

The clerk then reached behind the counter and pulled out his own gun. The teen ran out of the store as did another suspect who was with him. The clerk fired shots after them, but no one was hurt.

Des Plaines police, who recognized the 16-year-old from the surveillance video, tracked down the offender and his accomplice.

Police said the pair confessed to two other armed robberies that occurred earlier in the week, as well as robberies at businesses in Morton Grove, Kildeer and unincorporated Lake County.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.