A man on parole for robbing a Lincoln Park liquor store is now charged with attacking customers and employees as he robbed three more stores in the neighborhood and nearby Lakeview. Judge Mary Marubio ordered Jacque Thompson, 45, held without bail during a court hearing Tuesday afternoon.
Thompson received an eight year sentence when he pleaded guilty to robbing Parkwest Food Mart, 2733 North Halsted, with a butcher knife in the summer of 2017. He was released in August after serving half of that time, according to state records.
Chicago police arrested Thompson Saturday afternoon following his third alleged robbery in less than a month. In that case, he allegedly lunged at a victim and stole cigarettes at 7-Eleven, 2619 North Clark.
Investigators subsequently linked him to two other robberies.
Workers at Eastgate Liquors, 446 West Diversey, recognized Thompson when he walked into their store around 5:15 p.m. on April 6, according to prosecutors. He asked a clerk for cigarettes, but the employee refused, Assistant State’s Attorney LaKeya Duncan said.
Thompson allegedly became aggressive and threatened to punch the victim in the face if he didn’t hand over cigarettes, but the employee again refused. Thompson became angry and pushed one employee while taking a boxing stance and lunging at another as he tried to go behind the counter, according to Duncan. He allegedly escaped through the back door with some of the store’s merchandise.
About 20 minutes later, he allegedly robbed Go Grocer, 2930 North Sheridan. There, he displayed a switchblade and tried to go behind the counter while demanding cigarettes, Duncan said. The clerk allegedly recognized him from previous encounters in which Thompson took cigarettes without paying.
Duncan said the cashier handed over a box of smokes after Thompson asked him if he was “willing to lose his life over cigarettes” while brandishing the knife.
Marubio, the judge, noted that three people were injured during the robberies, although none required hospitalization.
Besides the robbery that he is on parole for, Thompson has previous felony convictions for retail theft, robbery, and criminal damage to state property, according to Illinois Department of Corrections records. There were no indications during Tuesday’s bond hearing that the state had taken steps to revoke his parole considering the new allegations.
Prosecutors charged him with Class X armed robbery, two counts of felony robbery, felony aggravated battery, and misdemeanor counts of assault and battery.
