A Palatine resident is charged with trying to rob two men in Albany Park while holding a vodka bottle under his coat as if it were a gun, according to court records.
Police said a 44-year-old man flagged them down near Montrose and Kedzie as officers responded to a call of a person with a gun around 11:30 p.m. on Feb. 7. The man told officers that a stranger approached him with an object under his jacket and ordered him to get down. But the man did not comply and the stranger, who walked away, was still visible across the street, police said.
Officers approached the alleged offender, 24-year-old Zacharia Farhan, and ordered him to show his hands. When he did, Farhan pulled a bottle of New Amsterdam vodka out from under his coat, police said.
Meanwhile, other officers met with a victim at the original “man with a gun” call. The 49-year-old subsequently identified Farhan as the man who implied that he had a gun, said “don’t’ make me pull the trigger,” and ordered the victim to put his hands in the air.
As cops were driving Farhan to the police station, yet another 911 caller reported that a man approached him on the street, and said “stick ‘em up” while implying that he had a gun under his clothing. That victim also identified Farhan as the offender, police said.
Prosecutors charged Farhan with two felony counts of attempted aggravated robbery and misdemeanor aggravated assault. He is being held without bail.