A Verizon store in Addison, Illinois, was hit with an armed robbery that saw one suspect, Diamonte Walls of Chicago, making off with a sizable bounty of cell phones and other electronics, totaling $37,000. The manhunt continues for the accomplices as police and prosecutors build their case against Walls, who has been charged with multiple crimes including armed robbery with a firearm and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon according to NBC Chicago.
At around 12:43 p.m., a panic alarm sounded at the Addison-based Verizon store, leading police officers to the scene. As described by prosecutors, Walls, a 25-year-old Chicago resident, entered the store wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and mask, brandishing a gun as he ordered customers to the floor. Employees of the store were then directed to fill garbage bags with merchandise from the back storage room – all under the watchful eye of Walls' armed accomplice, who pretended to be a customer according to Fox 32 Chicago.
In a daring escape, Walls and his accomplice fled the scene in two separate vehicles – a white Infiniti driven by yet another unknown individual and a gray Toyota, driven by the accomplice. The escapade did not last long, however; police officers quickly spotted the offending Infiniti on Interstate 290 near St. Charles Road. In an attempt to stop the vehicle, officers deployed spike strips, puncturing the front passenger-side tire of the Infiniti.
Undeterred, Walls and the driver continued their flight southbound along I-294, eventually coming to a stop near an elementary school at Elm Street and Fuller Road. Walls and the driver made a break for it – their respective fates, however, diverged within minutes.
Police caught up to Walls as he hid in a nearby backyard – one block from where they found a black garbage bag filled with the ill-gotten gains. Hidden amidst the loot were 30 iPhones, two Galaxy phones, four iPads, and an Apple Watch, their combined worth estimated at over $37,000, reported by NBC Chicago. A Taurus G2C 9mm handgun, with a single bullet chambered, was discovered in the front yard of a neighboring residence. Walls now faces charges of armed robbery and unlawful use of a weapon, with his arraignment scheduled for October 19 per DuPage County State's Attorney's Office.
Though Walls' capture has provided a small measure of justice for the victims of the robbery, the role of his accomplices cannot be overlooked. The driver of the gray Toyota remains at large, as does the individual who pretended to be a customer inside the store, and the person who drove the white Infiniti. Authorities are working tirelessly to identify and apprehend these individuals, ensuring that justice will ultimately be served.
