Two charged with separate robberies downtown

Eric Creech is accused of trying to rob a woman at knifepoint in the first block of East Superior. | CPD; Google

Police have made two arrests for separate robberies in the downtown area over the past week.

On Wednesday, a man pulled a knife on a woman and demanded her property outside Holy Name Cathedral around 8:25 a.m.  The 42-year-old victim was walking her child to school when the man approached her and announced the robbery, according to a police spokesperson and a witness. The offender walked away before getting anything.

Officers who were given a description of the offender stopped 27-year-old Eric Creech of Muncie, Indiana, nearby. Creech was arrested after being identified as the offender, police said.

Prosecutors charged Creech with one felony count of attempted armed robbery with a dangerous weapon. Judge Arthur Willis set bail at $20,000 and said Creech would be required to go onto electronic monitoring if he is able to post a $2,000 deposit bond.

Gerold Russell allegedly robbed a man in the 500 block of North State. | CPD; Google

In the earlier incident, an 18-year-old man reported that an offender took his phone, pushed him in the chest with both hands, and walked away around 9:45 a.m. Friday on the 500 block of North State Street.

Officers stopped 32-year-old Gerold Russell about a block away after the victim identified him as the robber, police said. Russell pulled away from officers and repeatedly struck one cop in the face and body to evade arrest, according to a police spokesperson and an arrest report.

Prosecutors charged Russell with one felony count of robbery and felony resisting police. Judge Mary Marubio ordered him held without bail. The case is Russell’s ninth arrest of the year, according to police records.

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About CWBChicago 4259 Articles
CWBChicago was created in 2013 by five residents of Wrigleyville and Boystown who had grown disheartened with inaccurate information that was being provided at local Community Policing (CAPS) meetings. Our coverage area has expanded since then to cover Lincoln Park, River North, The Loop, Uptown, and other North Side Areas. But our mission remains unchanged: To provide original public safety reporting with better context and greater detail than mainstream media outlets.