Crime & Safety

Women Robbed at Gunpoint Outside Bolingbrook Restaurant: Police

Police said they tracked down John A. Smith after he allegedly used a stolen credit card at an Oswego gas station.

Updated at 10 p.m. May 8:

A Woodridge 18-year-old is accused of accosting two women outside the Bolingbrook Olive Garden restaurant and brandishing a gun as he demanded their valuables.

John A. Smith, 18, of the 2400 block of Forest Drive in Woodridge, is charged with felony robbery in connection to the Wednesday evening incident.

Woodridge Police would not confirm if Smith is a suspect in three armed robberies that occurred there between April 24 to 29, citing an ongoing investigation, reports said.

Victims described the suspect in those robberies as a male between 5'8" and 5'10", in his late teens to early 20s, with a thin to medium build. The suspect wore a scarf over his face and used a butcher knife in one robbery, and a handgun in the other two. 

Lt. Mike Rompa said at around 6 p.m., Smith, wearing a scarf over his face and brandishing a handgun, approached two women in the parking lot of the restaurant, 215 S. Weber Rd. 

Police said Smith demanded the victims' purses and cell phones, then ran north through the Lowe's parking lot.

Rompa said police established a perimeter around the area and brought in a K-9 unit to assist with the search for the suspect as they checked area businesses.

Bolingbrook detectives quickly learned that one of the victims' stolen credit cards was used as a Speedway gas station in Oswego. Investigators followed up on that lead and were able to get information on the suspect who used the credit card, Rompa said.

Working in conjunction with Woodridge police, Bolingbrook detectives were able to identify the offender as Smith, who was located in Woodridge and taken into custody, Rompa said.

After being interviewed, Smith was transported to the Will County jail, police said. He is due in court Friday afternoon.

Woodridge Police would not confirm if Smith is a suspect in three armed robberies that occurred there between April 24 to 29, citing an ongoing investigation, reports said. 

Victims described the suspect in those robberies as a male between 5'8" and 5'10", in his late teens to early 20s, with a thin to medium build. The suspect wore a scarf over his face and used a butcher knife in one robbery, and a handgun in the other two. 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.