Park Ridge police put on show of force outside Mariano's in wake of recent robberies
PARK RIDGE, Ill. (CBS) -- Police put on a show of force Friday evening in Park Ridge after a rash of armed robberies in the parking lots of a Mariano's grocery store and also the Rivers Casino in nearby Des Planes.
As CBS 2's Jermont Terry reported, the was a huge show of force Friday night as Park Ridge police and Cook County Sheriff's deputies gathered in the parking lot of the Mariano's at 1900 S. Cumberland Ave. at Higgins Road in Park Ridge. They held a roll call in the parking lot of the Mariano's at 6:15 p.m.
"I think it's all crime of opportunities," said Park Ridge police Chief Joseph Madden.
Around 8:15 p.m. Friday, March 10, two men told Park Ridge police they were walking out of the Mariano's and toward their car in the parking lot – when three assailants wearing masks came up and robbed the men at gunpoint.
The robbers demanded the victims' wallets and phones. The victims complied, and the robbers fled in a red Nissan Rogue.
About 20 minutes before that, there had been three armed robberies in the parking lot of the Rivers Casino involving a team of three robbers.
At 10 p.m. Sunday, March 19, there was another armed robbery outside the Mariano's. This time, a black Jeep Compass pulled up to two people walking toward their car, and again, three men got out. One of the men demanded the victims' wallets, cellphones, and other personal belongings at gunpoint.
The victims complied, and the robbers left. The victims gave officers a license plate number, and said there appeared to be a fourth person in the Jeep who did not get out, police said.
Park Ridge police later learned that five minutes before that incident, there was also an armed robbery in the parking lot of the Rivers Casino – involving that same black Jeep Compass.
Park Ridge police said the car was stopped by Chicago Police and Illinois State Police in Chicago – and the suspects were all arrested. Police arrested four people in the car – including two juveniles.
But they are only linked to one robbery so far.
Five days after the most recent incident, many are still uncomfortable at the Cumberland Avenue Mariano's.
"It's a little concerning, definitely, and I would think about going to a different location," said Marta Piotrowski.
Piotrowski admitted she was hesitant to pull into the lot at the Mariano's on Friday. But seeing officers there doing a roll call eased fears briefly.
"It's overall that crime is happening so close to home - and then having my family here, and going shopping, and being concerned that they are armed and in the area," Piotrowski said.
John Smith said he sometimes comes shopping to the Mariano's twice a day. He figured the POD camera sitting in the parking lot would be enough to deter crime.
"That thing's been there for a while – I'm saying at least a year – because that's as far back as I remember started stopping at this Mariano's. So yeah," Smith said. "But I don't know - apparently, it's not doing any good."
With the suspects who were arrested in Chicago linked only to one robbery, everyone shopping is still warned to stay alert.
"I'll probably still come here," Smith said, "but I'll just be parking near the front."
