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DUPAGE COUNTY, Ill. - A pair of Chicago men are accused of robbing a suburban gas station at gunpoint and leading police on a high-speed chase that ended in a crash early Monday morning.
The backstory:
The robbery happened around 2:21 a.m. at the Casey’s Gas Station located on Devon Avenue in Bensenville.
Prosecutors said Tavon Williams — armed with a black gun — and Robert Hoes went behind the counter and repeatedly yelled "give me the money" at the clerk.
Hoes then grabbed two cash registers from the counter and loaded them into a Honda Civic parked out front, according to prosecutors. The two men then drove away.
About four minutes later, a Villa Park police officer spotted the Civic traveling about 105 mph on St. Charles Road near North Avenue. The officer tried to pull the car over but the driver, who was Williams, continued to speed away.
Police used spike strips as the car entered eastbound I-290. The vehicle lost some of its tires during the chase on the interstate, prosecutors said.
At I-290 and Butterfield Road, Williams allegedly opened the car door and threw out a loaded Glock 23 handgun. The weapon had an extended magazine and a "switch" device that made it a fully automatic weapon. Police later recovered the gun.
The chase ended when the Civic crashed into a median near I-290 and Mannheim Road. Both men tried to run but were taken into custody.
Tavon Williams and Robert Hoes
According to prosecutors, the car had been stolen out of Chicago. When officers arrested the men, both had reprogrammable key fobs.
Hoes also allegedly punched an officer in the face during the arrest. The officer was treated at a hospital and later released.
What they're saying:
"It is alleged that in the middle of the night, Mr. Williams and Mr. Hoes violently robbed at gunpoint a gas station clerk who was just trying to make an honest living," DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement.
"In DuPage County we will not allow violent crimes, as is alleged in this case, to terrorize our communities and anyone suspected of such actions will be arrested, charged and prosecuted. Thankfully, the clerk was not physically injured."
What's next:
A judge has ordered both men to remain in custody.
They are charged with the following:
Tavon Williams, 28
- Armed Robbery with a Firearm (Class X Felony)
- Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Repeat Felony Offender (Class X Felony)
- Unlawful Possession of a Weapon – Machine Gun (Class X Felony)
- Aggravated Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle (Class 1 Felony)
- Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding a Police Officer (Class 4 Felony)
Robert Hoes, 26
- Armed Robbery with a Firearm (Class X Felony)
- Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle (Class 2 Felony)
- Aggravated Battery to a Police Officer (Class 2 Felony)
Both men are due back in court on April 6. If convicted, they each face a minimum of 21 years in state prison.
The Source: The information in this story came from the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office.