A Tinley Park man has been charged with two counts of armed robbery for allegedly sticking up Southgate Minimart twice this month.
LaMarkee Lewis, 20, of the 6600 block of Oak Forest Avenue, was arrested May 19 following the second robbery of the store at 18747 Dixie Highway, Homewood police said. The first robbery took place May 9.
During a court hearing in Markham May 20, a judge set a bond of $100,000 for each robbery, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office said. The two robberies are being treated as separate incidents. Lewis’s next appearance is at 9 a.m. June 9 in Room 101 at the Markham courthouse. He remains in custody at Cook County Jail.
Southgate Minimart employees said that in both incidents, a man entered the store, displayed a handgun and demanded money from the cash register. During both robberies, the man also stole Swisher Sweets cigars and cigarette lighters. After the second incident, employees identified the suspect as the same man in the May 9 robbery.
The May 9 robbery occurred at 10:12 a.m., police said. The second incident took place at 1:12 p.m.
After the May 19 robbery, a minimart employee followed the suspect out of the store and contacted Homewood police. Shortly afterward, witnesses saw five police cars pursuing the suspect’s car — a dark-colored Ford Taurus — southbound on Harwood Avenue.
The chase ended when the Taurus struck another vehicle at the intersection of Western Avenue and Flossmoor Road. Flossmoor police said the two occupants of the second car were taken to the hospital following the crash. Their injuries were not believed to be serious, police said.