Two men were charged with aggravated robbery after allegedly holding up a Flossmoor video store on July 25, police said.
James Meyers, 22, of 12204 Artesian Ave. in Blue Island and Theotis Thomas, 22, of 11321 Church St. in Chicago were arrested following a similar attempted robbery in southwest suburban Willow Springs, said Flossmoor Deputy Police Chief Tod Kamleiter. They are being held without bond, he said.
On July 28, Meyers and Thomas were apprehended along with a third man in Willow Springs. Kamleiter said Meyers and Thomas admitted taking part in five other robberies, all of video stores and fast food restaurants in different Chicago-area towns, including the incident at Family Video, 19105 Crawford Ave. in Flossmoor. The two made statements to the Willow Springs police and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office, Kamleiter said.
A Family Video clerk identified Meyers and Thomas as the men who took part in the robbery, he said. The suspects took about $500 from the cash drawer and also stole three cordless phones.
The robbery at Family Video took place at 9:51 p.m., according to a Flossmoor police report. One of the suspects came into the store and lingered for about five minutes in the game section, the clerk told police. He waited until another customer left, then walked over to a cooler where drinks were for sale and took one.
Then he approached the clerk and said, “Put the money in a bag or I will hurt you,” according to the report. The clerk told police the assailant’s actions led her to believe he had a gun, Kamleiter said.
A witness in the parking lot said he saw the suspect run out of the store and head east on Flossmoor Road, the report says.
Initially it was believed that only one man had taken part in the robbery. During the photo lineup, however, the clerk identified a second suspect who was in the store immediately before the robbery. Kamleiter said the clerk identified Meyers and Thomas as the two suspects.
When arrested in Willow Springs, both Meyers and Thomas were armed with guns, Kamleiter said.
