No Bond For Man Charged In String Of Knifepoint Robberies
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A 39-year-old man has been charged with a series of knifepoint robberies in Chicago and the western suburbs, including holdups at three high-end boutique shops.
Willie Doles, of the 6900 block of South Oakley Avenue, has been charged with five counts of armed robbery, and one count of felony aggravated robbery. Police said he was arrested Wednesday afternoon, with help from the FBI.
He was ordered held without bond Thursday.
The most recent robbery was Monday afternoon at the Blue Jeans Bar in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Police said he threatened a cashier with a knife, and demanded cash.
Londo Mondo, another boutique a block south of Blue Jeans Bar, was robbed at knifepoint on the afternoon of May 13 The robber had said he was shopping for a gift for his girlfriend.
The week before, a clerk at Green Goddess Boutique in Bucktown was cut on the hand when a robber took money from the cash register.
Police said Doles also robbed a Dunkin' Donuts shop in the Austin neighborhood, and a bagel shop in Elmwood Park.
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Doles was on parole for a 2008 armed robbery conviction, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2008, and released on parole in April. He has previous convictions for armed robbery, aggravated battery, and drug charges.
"What surprises me is he's doing life on the installment plan," CBS 2 Legal analyst Irv Miller says. "Every time he gets sent away, he comes back out, he gets sent back in and it doesn't seem to bother him."
Martha Hofert, president of the Lincoln Park Merchants Association said she's glad police have made an arrest.
"He's going to be going away again for a long time, and the stores here can breathe a little sigh of relief", she said.
Hofert said Lincoln Park businesses would be meeting next week with the area's police commander to talk about ways to protect themselves. She said some stores already have video surveillance cameras, and "some stores now have gone to a panic alarm at the desk, or they're carrying one."
She said shop owners who have panic alarms simply need to press a button to alert police to a crime in progress.
"Lincoln Park is an upscale neighborhood. I understand why you may come to our neighborhood, but we don't want to have people think we're pushovers and we're not aware of what's going on," Hofert said.
