A Bloomingdale man stands accused of a foiled robbery at a West Chicago gas station, now facing a slew of felony charges. Filip Simonovic, 43, was arrested following what authorities have described as an attempted armed robbery, as per the joint announcement by DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and West Chicago Chief of Police Colin Fleury. The incident, which unfolded on Tuesday, has Simonovic facing charges including Attempt Armed Robbery with a Firearm and multiple counts of Unlawful Possession and Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon.
According to a statement from the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office, the series of events came to a head at 1:25 a.m. in Thornton's Gas Station on S. Neltnor Boulevard. A West Chicago police officer, who was at the scene purely to make a beverage purchase, was alerted by the clerk to a distressing scenario. Allegedly, Simonovic, after trying to purchase cigarettes, had presented a firearm, demanding money from the cash registers, just as the unsuspecting officer approached the store's entrance, beverages in hand, concealing his weapons.
Upon investigating Simonovic, police found two guns on his person: a Beretta Mod 950BS .25 caliber and a Beretta Mod 92FS 9mm, both loaded. A subsequent search of his vehicle yielded more firearms — a Ruger .357 magnum revolver, a Zastava M92 carbine, and a Smith & Wesson SW9VE 9mm — along with additional ammunition and open alcohol containers, as detailed by the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office. The ill-timed attempted robbery also unveiled that Simonovic was wearing body armor underneath his shirt. Following his arrest, it was determined that his Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) was .147.
State's Attorney Robert Berlin underscored the seriousness of the situation. “As a society, we must never tolerate or become numb to armed violence,” he said. Berlin praised the clerk for his quick thinking in alerting the officer and commended the police work that led to Simonovic's arrest, adding, "This type of behavior will not be tolerated in DuPage County and will be met with the full force of the law." The court date for Filip Simonovic is scheduled for June 23, before Judge Ann Celine O’Hallaren Walsh, as per the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office. The charges, which remain allegations until proven in court, have led to Simonovic's pre-trial detention, as decided by Judge Joshua Dieden.
