Man sought in store robberies

by CYRYL JAKUBOWSKI

The same man is believed responsible for at least three recent robberies of stores on the Northwest Side in which the man purchases a can of soda and then steals money from the register, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.

In the most recent incident on Nov. 2, officers who responded to a report of a crashed vehicle in the 5100 block of North Laramie Avenue found a car that had been reported stolen between Oct. 21 and Oct. 22 from the 4400 block of North Keeler Avenue, according to police. Officers saw a man running away from the white Oldsmobile Cutlass, and moments later police received a call reporting that the Montrose Deli, 5441 W. Montrose Ave., had been robbed at about 7:10 p.m., police said.

Employees of the deli reported that a man purchased a can of soda and took $1,000 from the register when it was opened, police said.

In another incident, employees reported that a man stole money from the Produce Center, 5820 N. Milwaukee Ave., at about 5:20 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, according to police. The employees reported that a man bought a soda, took an undisclosed amount of money from the register, and fled in a white vehicle, police said.

An employee reported that the Pulaski Polish Deli, 7141 W. Addison St., was robbed at about 6:15 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27, according to police. The employee reported that a man who has been in the store on prior occasions approached her to make a purchase and that when she opened the cash register he took about $1,500 from it, pushed her out of the way and fled in a white vehicle, police said.

The man is described as white, age 45 to 55, 5-6 to 5-10 and 160 to 185 pounds, and wearing a tan or brown construction jacket with a hooded shirt, blue jeans and gym shoes.