Prosecutors say a teen committed multiple armed robberies with his dog where he pointed a loaded gun at the victims, one of whom was a Jewel-Osco employee, while threatening to kill them in Zion.
The Zion Police Department said they arrested Cleounsee Fisher, 18, of Zion, on Tuesday following a three-hour standoff in the 2200 block of Eschol Avenue.
Fisher, who moved into Zion earlier this month, was identified as a suspect in a string of armed robberies and attempted vehicular carjackings that occurred over the weekend, police officials said.
Police were first called around 10:40 p.m. on August 22 to the area of 21st Street and Ezekiel Avenue in Zion for an armed robbery.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Dino Katris said a man was walking westbound on 21st Street from Sheridan Road and was approaching Bethesda Avenue when an unknown black male, later identified as Fisher, with medium to long dreads, approached him from behind with a dog.
The victim reported that the suspect was wearing a black bandana mask and the suspect grabbed his shirt, pushed a gun into his side and forcefully led him at gunpoint southbound on Bethesda Avenue.
The victim walked with the suspect for about two houses on Bethesda Avenue when the suspect put his left arm around the victim’s shoulder, Katris said.
The suspect used his right hand to hold the dog leash and the pistol, which he was holding and pointing at the victim’s right side abdomen.
The victim saw the black pistol, which the suspect racked the gun in front of him and he threatened to shoot him multiple times, Katris said.
The suspect stole his phone, the phone’s black case that held his identification cards, $200 cash and a gift card.
The suspect also stole his Old Spice deodorant and red lighter and then ordered the victim to walk north toward 21st Street and if he turned around, the suspect would shoot him.
Video surveillance captured Fisher walking northbound behind Jewel Osco, 1400 21st Street, where he committed another armed robbery.
Katris said the second robbery victim, who was a Jewel employee collecting carts just before 11 p.m., reported that a man came up behind him and pointed a black handgun with a light and a laser at him.
The suspect stuck it in his ribs and said, “I need all that.” The offender stole $140 cash and a small speaker.
The offender was wearing a White Sox jersey with a red undershirt with white lettering on the sleeves, black pants and black New Balance shoes. The offender’s dog had a pink harness and slightly lighter colored leash, Katris said.
Video surveillance captured the second robbery and the offender leading the victim out of camera view.
A neighbor of Fisher saw a Facebook post from a neighborhood group where the second victim posted that he was robbed.
Katris said another person posted their Ring camera footage of the incident and Fisher’s neighbor recognized the offender and his dog.
“It just so happens that the neighbor had his shoes stolen by the Defendant and he confronted the Defendant in front of the Defendant’s sister. The Defendant’s sister saw the video and also agreed that the Ring video shows her brother doing the first armed robbery,” Katris said.
The sister went into Fisher’s room and returned the neighbor’s shoes and she hid Fisher’s gun in her car, Katris said.
Katris said the sister later identified her brother in the Ring video to police and admitted to finding the gun in Fisher’s room next to the stolen shoes and hiding it in her car.
The sister gave police consent to recover the gun from her vehicle and they recovered the loaded black handgun with a light and laser attachment on it.
A search warrant was carried out on Fisher’s residence. The offender’s clothing and dog leash, as seen in the video, were also recovered from Fisher’s bedroom, Katris said.
“Even more damning was the recovery of the first Victim’s cell phone with the wallet phone case and his identification card,” Katris said.
Fisher is also a prime suspect in two attempted aggravated vehicular carjackings and an additional armed robbery that he appeared to use the stolen shoes of his neighbor to commit that occurred recently,” Katris said.
“This Defendant is dangerous. His criminal actions were amplified using a loaded firearm that he personally stuck into the ribs of his victims to gain their compliance and rob them of their dignity, safety, and belongings. The Defendant is young and has demonstrated that he has entered adulthood with no restraint and no appreciation for the consequences of his actions,” Katris said.
Police officials said resources were being moved into place for the search warrant on Tuesday when Fisher was “inadvertently alerted” to police presence, prompting the standoff with him.
There was an expedited tactical police response to the area, which impacted two nearby schools — New Tech High at Zion-Benton East and Lakeview Elementary School.
School resource officers from District 6 and District 126 worked in partnership with the school administrations to arrange a safe dismissal of students and staff, police officials said.
The SWAT team then entered Fisher’s residence and took him into custody without incident.
Fisher was transported to First Appearance Court on Wednesday morning after being charged with two counts of armed robbery, a Class X felony.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain him pending trial, which was granted by Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim during a detention hearing.
Police said additional analysis of digital and DNA evidence is ongoing and is expected to yield additional charges.
Fisher remains held in the Lake County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court again on September 23 for a preliminary hearing.