By Bob Bong
A 19-year-old Chicago man was charged last week with robbing a gas station in Summit shortly after robbing another gas station in neighboring Bridgeview, and he was also wanted for a series of convenience store robberies in Chicago.
Terrance Thomas, 19, was charged with armed robberies for holding up the Thorntons gas station at 5900 S. Harlem Avenue at 3:30 a.m. on Monday, April 3, police said.
Police said two men entered the station wearing masks, hoodies and gloves and were armed with handguns. They took one of the cash registers and fled in a waiting vehicle.
Summit police said they learned the two men had robbed the Pilot Travel center at 7501 S. Harlem Ave. in Bridgeview a short time before the Summit robbery.
Summit police said that Thomas and an accomplice were wanted by Chicago police for committing 17 robberies of 7-Eleven stores in recent weeks.
Police said Thomas was spotted by Illinois State Police on April 4 and an attempt was made to stop him. He allegedly fled from police and led them on a chase until he was stopped by the use of stop sticks and the deployment of a PIT maneuver in which police attempt to make the fleeing vehicle abruptly turn sideways in order to force them to stop. Nobody was injured in the incident.
Thomas was taken into custody and turned over to Chicago detectives.
Summit detectives interviewed Thomas and presented their case to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, which approved armed robbery charges.
Summit police said Thomas was also charged in the Chicago robberies.
Bridgeview Police Chief Ricardo Mancha said during the Pilot robbery Thomas and a companion displayed firearms before fleeing the scene. “One of the robbers is still at large and we are searching for him,” Mancha said.
He said he was told Thomas was wanted in connection with the string of robberies in Chicago, as well as the gas station robberies.
“We would like to thank our law enforcement partners including the Illinois State Police for their excellent efforts in taking a dangerous individual off the streets and to the Chicago Police Department for their continued partnership with our agency,” Summit police wrote in a posting on the Summit Crime Watch page.
Thomas was ordered held without bond.
His next scheduled court case is April 14 at Branch 44.