Sheriff Calls Robberies at Gunpoint ‘One Step Away From Brown’s Chicken Stuff’

After a presentation honoring the officers, who helped end a string of armed robberies in the northwest suburbs, Sheriff Keith Nygren compared the robbery ring to the Brown’s Chicken murders. Seven people were killed during the infamous robbery in Palatine in 1993.

“They were armed. This was one step away from Brown’s Chicken stuff,” Nygren said. He said the fact that the suspects were caught sends a message that armed robbers will be caught in McHenry County.

McHenry County Sheriff’s detectives and officers were part of a task force that trailed a ring of armed robbery suspects and ended up catching them in the act in Vernon Hills.

Sheriff’s officers, along with officers from Vernon Hills, the U.S. Marshal and other agencies came to the rescue at La Tienda Del Pueblo grocery store, 115 E. Townline Rd., in Vernon Plaza, on May 12.

“It was scary. I couldn’t see because they tied me up,” said Jose Herrera, a victim of the Vernon Hills robbery. His wife, Rosario Herrara, said one of the suspects had a gun to her husband’s neck. “They told me to lay down and I was about to when the police came,” she recalled. Nygren said police broke through a glass door to thwart the robbery. Both victims said they were very happy when police arrived, and grateful.

McHenry County Sheriff’s Detective Tom Jonites said the incident was “heart pumping.”

“There are very few times in your career that you are going to face a situation like that,” he said.

Nygren said the task force effort involved intelligence from several area police departments as well as the U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force. The agencies worked together to develop suspects and began to track and follow the suspects, he said.

“These are dangerous, dangerous people. They are people that go into the store at gunpoint, actually rob and tie up the victims, and terrorize the victims, and commit an armed robbery. These are extremely dangerous people,” Nygren said.

"This is probably one of the most dangerous details that any officer could be involved in. We’re very proud we were part of that task force that arrested an armed robbery crew,” Nygren said.

Nygren said the crew is responsible for at least seven armed robberies in the past month, including a May 6 attempted armed robbery at Morelia Boutique in unincorporated Crystal Lake, and on May 7 at a business in Harvard.

The officers each received a letter of commendation and a badge. The officers are: Sgt. Anthony Penna, Sgt. John Koziol, Detectives Craig L’Esperance, Hector Garza, Ben Brock and Tom Jonites.

The five suspects are each being held on million dollar bonds. They are: Eliu Villicana-Mancilla, 26, 2619 S. Pulaski, Chicago; Jose M. Villicana-Mancilla, 23, 2505 S. Springfield, Chicago; Joaquin Lopez, 20, 4745 N. Sacramento, Chicago; Christian Martinez-Guererro, 18, 116 W. Church, Wauconda; and Monica A. Cabral, 19, 116 W. Church, Wauconda.