UIC, Chicago police arrest suspects in several area robberies

Officers and detectives of the UIC Police/Chicago Police Joint Robbery Task Force arrested suspects in several area robberies last week.

A Chicago man was arrested Jan. 26 for the Jan. 14 armed robbery of the Shell Station at Van Buren and Racine streets, the target of a series of robberies since November.

Surveillance video and information from witnesses, including a partial license plate number, helped officers locate the vehicle and identify the suspect when he returned to the car.

Everett Vaughn, 32, was charged with two counts of armed robbery with a firearm. Police said he is a suspect in several other area robberies.

Task force officers arrested two suspects thought to be responsible for the Jan. 16 off-campus robbery of a UIC student near Polk and Aberdeen streets, the subject of a UIC crime alert.

Two teens were robbed Jan. 24 in the 900 block of South Aberdeen Street in a crime similar to the earlier one. Two Chicago detectives patrolling the area found two men who were positively identified by the victims of the Jan. 24 crime and had items that had been stolen from the teens. The suspects were charged with the Jan. 24 crimes.

The task force also arrested a Chicago man as he fled after breaking into a UIC student’s apartment Jan. 30 on the 900 block of South Racine.

The student, who was home when he saw the man trying to get in, called police with a description before escaping. His roommate came home soon after and found the man, who robbed him, then fled as he heard the approaching sirens. Police chased the suspect several blocks across Arrigo Park and over a wall before he was caught.

Henry Hunt, 44, was charged with four counts of burglary and one count of robbery.

“These arrests demonstrate the effectiveness of the collaboration between UIC Police and the Chicago Police on our joint robbery task force,” said UIC Police Chief Kevin Booker.

“But the arrests would not have been possible without the active cooperation of crime victims and witnesses in promptly and accurately reporting crime to us. Security requires teamwork.”