West Loop robbery suspect remains at large

Saturday, October 1, 2016
Police: West Loop street reopens after search for suspect
Chicago police say Lake Street reopened 90 minutes after an armed robbery suspect was believed to be barricaded in a building in the West Loop Friday afternoon.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago police say Lake Street reopened 90 minutes after an armed robbery suspect was believed to be barricaded in a building in the West Loop Friday afternoon.

Chicago police received a call of an armed robbery around 12:42 p.m. Friday at the Dunkin Donuts at 555 W. Lake.

SWAT teams arrived on the scene. There were no reports of injuries.

The armed robber fled on foot. He had not been arrested as of 6 p.m. Friday.

A witness said she saw the robber as he walked out of the store. He pulled a hoodie over his head and pulled his collar over his face, she said, then he walked south down an alley.

Police were initially keeping pedestrians away from the area, but streets reopened around 2:15 p.m.

The doughnut shop still had police tape across it hours after officers swarmed the building.

"I'm hoping my friends in there are OK," said regular customer Barrett Allen.

As the manhunt intensified, the building that houses CTA headquarters emailed workers, warning them that their building was temporarily shut down.

"People are asking, you know, what's going - they want to find out information," said West Loop worker Jim Sojoodi. "They let us know we should stay in the building. They told us a little while later - everything is fine you can leave."