Chicago — A 19-year-old Lakeview man robbed a Boystown bank on Monday afternoon, less than an hour after his landlord threatened to begin eviction proceedings if he didn’t pay past-due rent, federal officials said in court documents.
Chicago police located Myles Thorpe near his home in the 400 block of West Diversey after following a GPS tracker that the bank’s teller hid in a stack of cash.
An FBI agent’s complaint against Thorpe said his landlord knocked on his door 52 minutes before the robbery to demand payment of $1,924.75 in back rent.
Just before 2 p.m., Thorpe allegedly slid a note under the teller’s glass at a Huntington Bank branch located inside Jewel-Osco, 3531 North Broadway.
“Put All 20, 50, 100 in Bag Hurry and No body will die No dye Packs Hurry,” the note read.
While the teller complied with the demand, Thorpe allegedly told her that he wanted the $10 bills, too. He got away with $2,141 — and a GPS tracker, the FBI agent alleged.
Various cameras recorded Thorpe as he left the apartment building before the robbery, arrived at the Jewel on a bike, committed the robbery, and bicycled down Broadway to get home, the agent wrote. The complaint included a picture of Thorpe wearing an orange camouflage hoodie that appeared similar to one worn by the bank robber.
Chicago police followed the GPS pings and saw a man matching the bank robber’s description enter Thorpe’s apartment building. Thorpe allegedly ran up the alley as police closed in. Officers who arrested him in the 400 block of West Surf found the GPS tracker nearby, according to the federal complaint.
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