CHICAGO — A man from the Near North Side is accused of robbing a man in Chinatown after the victim stepped off of a casino shuttle bus this week. Three similar robberies targeting casino customers who took the shuttle occurred earlier the same day, according to a Chicago police report.
A tactical unit was patrolling Chinatown late Wednesday night, specifically looking for a car used in three robberies around 1:30 a.m. The victims reported that they were targeted after getting off a casino shuttle.
Around 11:30 p.m., the tactical team in the 200 block of West 23rd Street spotted Willie Greenwood driving a black Hyundai Tucson similar to one linked to the earlier robberies, according to his arrest report. Greenwood, 27, gave police permission to search his car and the cops say they found a BB gun pistol in his glove compartment.
A Chinatown security officer contacted the police and reported that a 65-year-old man had been robbed just minutes before the traffic stop.
The victim told police that he was walking home from the Chinatown casino bus when a masked man pointed a gun at him and ordered him to hand over his money, according to the report. The report said he gave the robber $105, including five $20 bills. The robber searched the victim’s pockets looking for more but came up empty.
Officers pulled CPD surveillance video and discovered footage that showed Greenwood getting out of his car and running down the 200 block of West 24th Street at the time of the robbery. The report said the video showed him running back to his car moments later.
Greenwood claimed he was dropping off a friend and checking on his girlfriend’s business and said he never got out of his car, according to the report. Confronted with the video, Greenwood admitted it was him running down the street, but he allegedly explained that he was looking for his girlfriend’s car.
CPD officers found $400 in Greenwood’s possession, including five $20 bills, according to the arrest report. The victim also identified him as the robber.
Judge Deidre Dyer detained Greenwood on Friday afternoon. He is charged with armed robbery. He is not charged with the three robberies that occurred earlier on Wednesday.
