CHICAGO – A Rockford man is accused of robbing a store in Edgewater where he allegedly ordered the cashier, “Give me the bong or I’ll shoot you!” Paul McMahan, 44, did not leave with a bong, but he did steal a $25 vape during the Jan. 3 incident, according to the charges.
An employee at The Green Arch Food Mart, 5555 North Broadway, told police that McMahan suggested he had a gun as he reached into his pants pocket and demanded a bong. But eventually, McMahan grabbed the vape from a shelf and walked outside, according to a Chicago police report.
The worker called 911 and an officer on patrol who heard the robber’s description realized it was McMahan because they had an “interaction” earlier in the day, according to the CPD report.
A CPD surveillance camera captured footage of McMahan leaving the food market and walking down the street. Officers found him a short time later in the 5500 block of North Kenmore.
Prosecutors did not ask Judge Susana Ortiz to detain McMahan, so the judge released him under electronic monitoring. He is suspected of theft and shoplifting.
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