(CHICAGO) A South Side man has been charged with several knifepoint robberies of small businesses across the city and in the west suburbs throughout the past month.
Willie A. Doles, 59, is charged with five felony counts of armed robbery with a dangerous weapon and one felony count of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, according to a statement from Chicago Police.
Doles, of the 6900 block of South Oakley, was taken into police custody about 1:10 p.m. Wednesday, police said. He is believed to be responsible for at least four robberies in the city since early May, as well as at least one robbery in the western suburbs.
The city robberies, all committed at knifepoint, occurred in the 1600 block of North Damen about 12:50 p.m. on May 6; in the 2100 block of North Halsted about 1:20 p.m. on May 13; in the 5700 block of West North Avenue about 1:30 p.m. on May 18; and in the 2200 block of North Halsted about 2:40 p.m. on June 1, police said. It was not immediately clear where the suburban robbery occurred.
In the first robbery on Damen, a store clerk’s hand was cut as the suspect reached for the cash register, police said at the time.
The arrest was made due to “a combined effort between Chicago Police detectives assigned to both Area Central and Area North, members of the Chicago Police Department’s Intelligence Section and members of the FBI,” the statement said.
At the time of his arrest, Doles was on parole for a 2008 armed robbery conviction, according to Illinois Department of Corrections records. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2008 and was released on parole on April 13. He has previously served prison terms for armed robbery, aggravated battery and various drug charges.
Doles is expected to appear in bond court Thursday, according to police.
