Yesterday, Champaign Police reported on an armed robbery at Dotty’s Slots and Video Poker, located at 12 E. Green Street in Champaign. A suspect entered the location armed with a handgun and demanded money before fleeing the scene in a reported stolen vehicle.
The stolen vehicle associated with this incident has been spotted at multiple locations. The vehicle is described as a blue 2007 Toyota Corolla. Police believe that the suspect(s) may have stolen or otherwise obtained different registration plates for the car. Witness statements and video surveillance footage show that the vehicle has a temporary spare tire mounted as the front passenger wheel.
Champaign Police requests that citizens be on the lookout for this vehicle, which may still be in the Champaign-Urbana area. The occupants of the vehicle should be considered armed. Citizens should not attempt to contact the vehicle or its occupant(s), but immediately call 9-1-1.
A timeline of incidents associated with this vehicle include:
- April 18, 2017 at approximately 10:00AM, a blue 2007 Toyota Corolla with Illinois registration V265067 was carjacked by an armed subject in Naperville, IL. Twenty minutes later the vehicle passed through a toll plaza in Bolingbrook going southbound on I-355.
- April 18, 2017 at approximately 1:00PM, an occupant of this vehicle entered Dotty’s Slots and Video Poker at 12 E. Green Street in Champaign, displayed a handgun, and robbed the store of an undisclosed amount of money.
- April 18, 2017 at approximately 2:54PM, employees of a bank in Savoy contacted METCAD 9-1-1 regarding a suspicious vehicle in their parking lot which has since been identified as the same blue 2007 Toyota Corolla.
- April 18, 2017 at approximately 3:10PM, employees of a bank on S. Prospect Avenue in Champaign saw this same suspicious vehicle on their property and alerted police.
The available suspect description from Dotty’s robbery: Black male, possibly in his late teens to early 20’s, approximately 5’08” in height with a thin build. The suspect was seen wearing light blue jean pants; black tennis shoes; a black shirt; and a black mask that covered the bottom portion of his face.
Police continue to investigate this incident and ask that anyone with information to call 9-1-1 during an in-progress observation, or contact the Champaign Police Department Investigations Division at 217-351-4545 with any information.
Anonymous tips may also be submitted to Crime Stoppers by phone at: (217) 373-8477 (TIPS); online at www.373tips.com; or the “P3 Tips” mobile app. Crime Stoppers will pay a reward up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of the person(s) responsible for these crimes.
Media Contact: Lt. David Shaffer | [email protected] | 217-403-7030
Related News Release: Police Seek Suspect in Armed Robbery Investigation