Neighborhoods change for the worse all the time.
CALUMET CITY | Tracking technology turned out to be the undoing for a trio of men charged with the Dec. 30 robbery of a bank branch in Calumet City.
In the criminal complaint filed Thursday, and posted Monday evening to a U.S. District Court Web site, FBI Special Agent David Hall said how three friends set out with a pair of cars and a recently purchased handgun to rob a bank.
Timothy Rucker, 31, of 14641 Wabash Ave., in Dolton, and Phillip Griffen, 31, of 7802 S. Morgan Ave., and Brandon Barnes, 25, of 7704 S. Sangamon Ave., both of Chicago, are charged with one count each of bank robbery.
The robbery happened at 10:40 a.m. at the TCF Bank at the corner of Torrence Avenue and Sibley Boulevard.
Surveillance cameras recorded images of two men entering the building in black hooded sweatshirts, dark clothing and scarves and masks to cover their faces.
The first man, armed with a black handgun, told a teller not to press any buttons. The second man vaulted the teller counter, pushed a second teller out of the way and began shoveling money into a blue bag. He did the same with the first teller's drawer.
Unbeknownst to the men, the money in the bag also contained a pair of GPS tracking devices and bait bills, which investigators use to identify cash stolen in specific robberies.
About an hour after the bank robbery, officers moved in on a residence in the 14600 block of Wabash Avenue, where they found a green Cutlass Sedan with what appeared to be dark-colored clothing and a ski mask strewn about the passenger compartment, according to the complaint.
The officers found fresh footprints leading from the car to a house, and felt that the hood still was warm, according to the complaint. The house belonged to Rucker's parents, who gave permission to police to enter.
Inside the house, police found Barnes, a small black handgun in a bin of clothing and a bag containing $8,789, the complaint said. After arresting Barnes, officers allegedly recovered $250 in one of his socks.
The complaint details the arrests of the other two defendants. Rucker arrived at the home after police had searched it, and allegedly offered to tell police everything. Meanwhile, Griffen was picked up by police about 10:50 a.m. after officers matched his description to the suspects. He was placed in a squad car. While officers were busy confirming his identity, Griffen allegedly rolled down the window, unlocked the door and escaped. He was captured again after a short chase, the complaint said.
CALUMET CITY | Tracking technology turned out to be the undoing for a trio of men charged with the Dec. 30 robbery of a bank branch in Calumet City.
In the criminal complaint filed Thursday, and posted Monday evening to a U.S. District Court Web site, FBI Special Agent David Hall said how three friends set out with a pair of cars and a recently purchased handgun to rob a bank.
Timothy Rucker, 31, of 14641 Wabash Ave., in Dolton, and Phillip Griffen, 31, of 7802 S. Morgan Ave., and Brandon Barnes, 25, of 7704 S. Sangamon Ave., both of Chicago, are charged with one count each of bank robbery.
The robbery happened at 10:40 a.m. at the TCF Bank at the corner of Torrence Avenue and Sibley Boulevard.
Surveillance cameras recorded images of two men entering the building in black hooded sweatshirts, dark clothing and scarves and masks to cover their faces.
The first man, armed with a black handgun, told a teller not to press any buttons. The second man vaulted the teller counter, pushed a second teller out of the way and began shoveling money into a blue bag. He did the same with the first teller's drawer.
Unbeknownst to the men, the money in the bag also contained a pair of GPS tracking devices and bait bills, which investigators use to identify cash stolen in specific robberies.
About an hour after the bank robbery, officers moved in on a residence in the 14600 block of Wabash Avenue, where they found a green Cutlass Sedan with what appeared to be dark-colored clothing and a ski mask strewn about the passenger compartment, according to the complaint.
The officers found fresh footprints leading from the car to a house, and felt that the hood still was warm, according to the complaint. The house belonged to Rucker's parents, who gave permission to police to enter.
Inside the house, police found Barnes, a small black handgun in a bin of clothing and a bag containing $8,789, the complaint said. After arresting Barnes, officers allegedly recovered $250 in one of his socks.
The complaint details the arrests of the other two defendants. Rucker arrived at the home after police had searched it, and allegedly offered to tell police everything. Meanwhile, Griffen was picked up by police about 10:50 a.m. after officers matched his description to the suspects. He was placed in a squad car. While officers were busy confirming his identity, Griffen allegedly rolled down the window, unlocked the door and escaped. He was captured again after a short chase, the complaint said.