By Mary Corrado
Editor
An armed robbery ring blamed for 30 recent crimes has been arrested by Chicago Police. Named Darryl Cates, Leonard Askew, and Bonita Wright, the suspects are linked to robberies at the following North Side stores: Hanig's Birkenstock Shop, 847 W. Armitage Ave.; 7-Eleven, 180 N. Franklin St.; R & B Grocery, 2601 N. Halsted St.; Galleria Liquors, 1559 N. Wells St.; L. A. Tan, 1335 W. Fullerton Ave.; Over 21 Bookstore, 1347 N. Wells St.; Dala Food & Liquor, 414 N. State St.; GNC Store, 1237 N. Clybourn Ave.; Mr. Video, 3356 N. Broadway; Hubbard Books, 109 W. Hubbard St.; Fabrice, 1714 N. Wells St., and Lincoln Foods, 2306 N. Lincoln Ave.
The offenders would enter the stores armed and demand money from employees. Detectives investigating the pattern say there may have been up to 30 incidents during the last two months. The key break in the case came when detectives located a fingerprint. As they were interviewing one of the shopkeepers, the victim recalled that one offender stole money from a jar set aside to collect donations from customers for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. This was the break that the police needed.
Detectives lifted a fingerprint from the jar and forensic testing linked it to Cates, 47, of the 100 block of W. 37th St. Cates is charged with 15 counts of armed robbery. He was arrested by University of Illinois at Chicago Police, who had joined the investigative effort after one robbery took place on campus.
A computer check of Cates' known associates identified the other two offenders: Askew, of the 1200 block of S. Komensky Ave., and Wright, of the 2200 block of S. State St. Askew is charged with seven counts of armed robbery. Wright, who was identified by witnesses in two cases, is charged with two counts of armed robbery.
The suspects are linked to robberies at South Side locations as well: a retail store at 719 S. Western Ave.; La Canady - Le - Chocolatier, 824 S. Wabash St.; Books in the City, 545 S. State St.; 7-Eleven, 1350 S. Halsted St.; and Freehling Pot and Pan Company, 1365 E. 53rd St. |
