Evanston Man Charged As 'Bad Hair Bandit'
UPDATED: 2/6/2012 - 4:15 p.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) -- An Evanston man is being held without bond after being charged with robbing nearly a dozen hair salons to support his crack cocaine habit, authorities announced on Wednesday.
Bad Hair Bandit Charged
Jason Logsdon, 41, faces 11 counts of felony armed robbery, according to the Cook County state's attorney's office. More charges were expected to be filed later in DuPage County, for heists in Lombard, Glen Ellyn, and Elmhurst.
During Logsdon's court appearance on Wednesday, prosecutors said he admitted he targeted hair salons because he'd find less resistance from women.
The so-called "Bad Hair Bandit" struck about a dozen hair salons in Chicago, Broadview, Lombard, Glen Ellyn, Bensenville, Niles, Morton Grove and Skokie over the past month.
In each robbery, Logsdon allegedly carried a backpack to hold the money, and used a BB gun to scare the workers, because it looked real.
Skokie Police Cmdr. Brian Baker said, "We are very confident that we have the right person, and that this pattern has stopped."
The 41-day robbery spree ended on Monday, when Logsdon allegedly held up the Great Clips shop at 1238 N. Ashland Av. in the Wicker Park neighborhood. During that robbery, a witness spoted Logsdon's getaway car, a 2011 Nissan Altima.
Chicago Police Cmdr. Anthony Riccio said, "When the witness provided the license plate number, one of the digits was actually off. A police officer working in the 12th District sat at his computer at the car, and actually ran variations of that plate until one popped up with the make and model that we were looking for."
Logsdon was arrested Tuesday, while driving the car in Elmhurst, with the BB gun inside.
"We have a witness that comes forward and does the right thing," Chicago Police Chief of Detectives Tom Byrne said. "Shortly after that witness came forward, we have an offender in custody."
Logsdon lived with his girlfriend at an Evanston apartment building, and the car was registered to her. But investigators insisted she was in the dark about the robberies.
"The person that owned that car had absolutely nothing to do with this, and no knowledge it was occurring," Baker said.
Prosecutors said Logsdon is unemployed, and enrolled as a student at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts.
Between $100 and $800 was stolen in each robbery.
