Pair Threatens to Blow Up Pizzeria, Robs 7-Eleven in Near West, Lincoln Square Robberies

A shotgun-and bomb-toting man and woman threatened to blow up a pizzeria and robbed a convenience store in two separate incidents on Friday.

Police said a man and woman entered Sarpino’s at 627 W. Lake St. with scarves wrapped around their faces and gloves on their hands around 2 a.m., the Chicago Tribune reported.

The two ordered food but about a minute later, the man got up and showed the counter worker what looked like an explosive device. The man threatened to blow up the restaurant if the worker didn’t clean out the cash registers.

Not satisfied with the loot from the cash registers, the man said he would “push the button” if the worker didn’t open the safe.

A store video shows the pair leaving with about $1,200 from the registers and safe, the Chicago Tribune said. The robbers left the restaurant with money from the registers and safe, taking a liter of pop for the road on the way out. Several employees were inside the store at the time.

The pair apparently match the descriptions of two people who had robbed a 7-Eleven store at 2323 W. Lawrence Ave., in the Lincoln Square neighborhood around 10:30 p.m. Thursday.

Police said the woman asked the store employee about lottery tickets while the man grabbed himself a Slurpee. The man pulled out what is being described as a sawed-off shotgun or “small rifle.”

He used a racial slur while directing the employee to open the cash register, according to the Chicago Tribune. The man left the Slurpee behind and the woman stuffed $60 into a black purse as they both fled the store.

She was also carrying an orange and white duffle bag across her shoulder, with a Miller Lite logo.

The woman is described as white, in her forties, about 5-foot-5 to 5-foot-6, 150 to 160 pounds, with white streaks in her hair.

The man is white, between 5-foot-10 to 5-foot-11 and weighing 160 pounds. He was wearing dark clothing, a baseball cap and scarf.

Earlier this week, Police News Affairs sent out an alert to Near West Side businesses, warning them of a string of robberies that occurred in March.

Police said the man used a shotgun-type of weapon to rob restaurants and food delivery drivers, while his female companion acted as lookout.  

The robberies took place in the 200 block of South Leavitt Street around 9:30 p.m. March 22, and in the 2300 block of West Madison Street around 8:15 p.m. March 23.

The descriptions vary, but the offenders are police say there are generally described as:

• Male white, 27-30, 5-foot-7 to 6-foot, 160-170 pounds

• Female white, 30-35, 5-foot-5, black hair.

Police are not publicly connecting the incidents, the Chicago Tribune noted, but the descriptions are similar to the alert sent about the Thursday-Friday incident.

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