A 25-year-old Aurora man is being held at the Kane County Adult Justice Center after police say he robbed a North Lake Street store in October after claiming to have a firearm, then stole roughly $427 and fled on foot before a federal fugitive task force found him at an apartment on North Lake Street. Thomas Johnson now faces one count of aggravated robbery and one count of robbery in connection with the Oct. 18 incident.
Police said officers were called to the scene the evening of Oct. 18, though accounts differ on the exact address. According to Patch, officers were dispatched at about 7:22 p.m. to a dollar store at 890 N. Lake St. for a report of an aggravated robbery, while the Country Herald reported that officers responded to a business in the 500 block of North Lake Street. Police said a man approached an employee at the cash register, claimed he had a firearm and demanded the worker open the register.
The employee complied, and the suspect made off with about $427 before running from the store, per the Patch account. Officers reviewed surveillance footage from the business and canvassed the surrounding area as part of the investigation, according to Shaw Local.
Suspect Allegedly Returned to the Scene Days Later
Investigators got an unexpected break five days after the robbery. On Oct. 23, a man believed to have been involved in the robbery returned to the store. Detectives used the shop's surveillance footage and canvassing to identify Johnson as a suspect, according to Patch.
The Kane County State's Attorney's Office filed criminal charges against Johnson, and a warrant for his arrest was issued on Oct. 27. Johnson was charged with one count of aggravated robbery with a firearm, a Class 1 felony, and one count of robbery, a Class 2 felony, per Shaw Local.
Fugitive Task Force Makes the Arrest
Johnson remained at large for several days until a U.S. Marshals Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force — which included an Aurora police detective — found him at an apartment on North Lake Street on Oct. 30. Patch reported that the task force located Johnson at his apartment in the 800 block of North Lake Street and that he was taken into custody. Shaw Local reported that he was brought to the Aurora Police Department.
Johnson now awaits his next court appearance, scheduled for 9 a.m. on Nov. 18, according to the Country Herald's reporting. A judge ordered him detained pending trial on Nov. 1, the outlet said. Aurora police have said the robbery remains under investigation, and Johnson is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
