CHICAGO — A Rockford man is charged with robbing an Edgewater store where he allegedly ordered the cashier to “Give me the bong or I’ll shoot you!” Paul McMahan, 44, did not leave with a bong, but he did steal a $25 vape during the January 3 incident, according to the allegations.
An employee at The Green Arch Food Mart, 5555 North Broadway, told police that McMahan implied he had a gun while reaching into his pants pocket and demanding a bong. Ultimately, though, McMahan grabbed the vape from a shelf and walked out, a Chicago police report said.
The worker called 911 and a cop on patrol who heard the robber’s description realized it was McMahan because they had an “interaction” earlier in the day, according to the CPD report.
A CPD surveillance camera recorded footage of McMahan leaving the food mart and walking down the street. Officers found him in the 5500 block of North Kenmore a short time later.
Prosecutors did not ask Judge Susana Ortiz to detain McMahan, so the judge released him on electronic monitoring. He is charged with robbery and misdemeanor retail theft.
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