NILES, Ill. (WLS) --
A Chicago man arrested in connection with an armed robbery in the city's Lakeview neighborhood was charged in the robbery of a CVS store in north suburban Niles. He is accused of threatening a CVS employee with a hypodermic needle.Niles police said Sanjay Malhotra, 49, was taken into custody around 10:05 p.m. Friday by Chicago officers investigating an armed robbery at a Jewel-Osco store in the 2900-block of North Ashland Avenue.
Chicago police notified officers in Niles Saturday that the man they had in custody matched the description of one of two suspects in the robbery of a CVS store in the 9600-block of Milwaukee Avenue.
Police said a man and a woman entered the CVS around 7:30 a.m. Monday, took over-the-counter medication from a shelf and hid them in bags they brought with them. When they tried to leave the store, an employee approached and told them to put the merchandise down.
Police said that's when the man pulled out a hypodermic needle, pointed it at the worker and said, "You don't want what I have."
The pair left the store and got into a light-colored vehicle. Police said they got away with about $600 in over-the-counter meds.
Investigators linked Malhotra to the Niles robbery. He was charged with felony armed robbery. His court information was not available.
The female suspect is still at large. Police said she was about 5 ft. 5 in. - 5 ft. 9 in. tall, weighed around 135-145 pounds and had light hair. She was wearing a baseball cap, a two-tone jacket and tan pants.
A similar robbery occurred in southwest suburban Naperville earlier this week, where a robber claimed to have a needle infected with HIV.
