DANVILLE, Ill. (WAND) – Armed robbery suspects in Danville crashed a stolen van into a tree, police say.
Officers report the armed robbery happened after 1 a.m. Monday at a Circle K in the 600 block of S. Bowman Ave. Two black male suspects showed a handgun in front of a store worker before stealing cash from the register and tobacco products, then left the scene in a silver minivan, police say.
Officers say they found a van matching the suspect vehicle description later on and tried to stop it and Kansas and Vine streets. The driver refused to stop and a chase began. It ended in the 14000 block of Lee Road, a press release says, when the van hit a tree. Police arrested the three suspects after chasing them on foot from the crash site.
The release says police later learned the van was reported stolen from Danville on Sunday. Police say they found a handgun in it, along with other evidence at the scene.
Two of the suspects are 14 years old and a third is 16. They face preliminary charges of armed robbery, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a stolen vehicle. All of them are behind bars at the Juvenile Detention Center.
There were no injuries in the robbery or chase.
Police are also investigation a Dollar General armed robbery, which they say happened after 7 p.m. on Feb. 15 at a store in the 1400 block of N. Bowman Ave. Officers say a suspect came into the business with a handgun and demanded money from the cash register.Â
The suspect left with cash and ran toward Bowman Avenue, police say. The suspect is black and was wearing a red sweatshirt, grey sweatpants and a blue hospital-style mask on his face, according to officers.
Police don't believe the robberies are related. Anyone with information on either case is asked to call Danville police at (217)431-2250 or Vermilion County Crime Stoppers at (217)446-TIPS.
