Robbery suspects run into Highland Park police station while fleeing
Highland Park IL Sept 14 2017 Three Chicago men charged with armed robbery in Lake Bluff inadvertently fled into the Highland Park Police Department while trying to elude capture Friday, according to police.
Eddie L. Hill, 24, of the 9300 block of South King Drive, Cordell C. Prince, 21, of the first block of East 100th Place and Aries A. Rickenbacker, 22, of the 800 block of South Vernon Avenue were all charged with armed robbery and related charges on Sept. 9, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s website.
At 4:13 p.m. Sept. 8, two men went into a Verizon store at 235 S. Waukegan Road. One had a semi-automatic handgun that he held against the head of a male employee, said Lake Bluff Deputy Chief Mike Hosking.
The men then forced the store’s two employees to open the safe and used zip ties on the employee’s wrists, he said. They took at least 20 cell phones and other electronic devices from the safe and left through the back door, Hosking said.
The employees freed themselves and called 911, Hosking said. Lake Forest and Highland Park squad cars were stationed along Route 41 and Lake Forest police officers saw a car speeding and run a red light at Kennedy Road, police said.
The chase continued along Route 41 and exited on Old Deerfield Road in Highland Park, Hosking said.
At Richfield Avenue and Deerfield Road, the car crashed, said Highland Park Deputy Chief Timothy Wilinski.
“That’s when the suspects bailed,” Wilinski said. “They fled on foot. Where the crash was, was adjacent to the police parking lot. One was taken into custody in the rear parking lot of the Highland Park Police Station. The other two fled on foot and ran into the lobby of the police station, where they were taken into custody.”
Wilinski said the men may have unknowingly entered the station.
“I don’t think they knew it was a police facility,” Wilinski added. “They were hiding behind a vending machine in our lobby.”
Hill and Prince are each being held at Lake County Jail against $500,000 bond. Rickenbacker is being held against $750,000 bond. If convicted on armed robbery, a class X felony, each could be sentenced to 6 to 30 years in prison, said Cynthia Vargas, spokesperson for the Lake County States Attorney.
All three were also charged with felony possession or use of a weapon, defacement of firearm ID markings and unlawful restraint.
The next court date for all three is Oct. 5.
