Authorities say a suspect placed a store owner in a chokehold while holding a replica gun to his head and attacked a second owner during an attempted robbery at a Waukegan grocery store.
The Waukegan Police Department responded around 2:15 p.m. last Monday to Ortiz Supermarket, 2217 Belvidere Road in Waukegan, for a report of a robbery.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Emily Shanley-Roberts said officers arrived and met with two victims, who are the owners of the store.
The male victim, who is over 80 years old, reported that he was in the store and a woman, later identified as Patricia Ortiz-Garcia, 42, of Round Lake, came into the store.
Ortiz-Garcia grabbed him from behind by the neck and pointed what he believed to be a gun to his neck, Shanley-Roberts said.
Ortiz-Garcia demanded that he give her money and the man’s wife was next door and saw what was happening on the security cameras, Shanley-Roberts said.
The woman recognized Ortiz-Garcia as a customer who comes in to fill her prescriptions.
Shanley-Roberts said the wife of the victim believed the gun was real and rushed over in an attempt to pull Ortiz-Garcia off of her husband.
The three began physically struggling as the wife tried to remove Ortiz-Garcia from her husband and then the two victims attempted to get Ortiz-Garcia out of the store.
The two were unable to physically remove Ortiz-Garcia from the store and the suspect kicked the female owner, Shanley-Roberts said.
One of the owners told Ortiz-Garcia she would hand over the money but they had to go next door to get it.
Shanley-Roberts said the two went next door and Ortiz-Garcia waited outside as the owner went to get the money.
Ortiz-Garcia fled before the owner came outside with the money, Shanley-Roberts said.
The female victim suffered bruising on the right side of her body from Ortiz-Garcia kicking her, a red scratch on her upper chest and ribcage pain.
The male victim told officers that when Ortiz-Garcia grabbed him from behind, he felt like he was being choked.
He also believed the gun that Ortiz-Garcia pointed at his neck was real, Shanley-Roberts said. Officers located Ortiz-Garcia at a family member’s apartment and arrested her.
They recovered the gun that was used, which turned out to be a silver toy gun.
Officers also reviewed surveillance footage, which corroborated the victims’ version of events.
Ortiz-Garcia was charged with attempted aggravated robbery, aggravated battery to a victim over 60 and two counts of aggravated battery.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Ortiz-Garcia and a petition to revoke her pre-trial release in another case.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Colleen McConnell said Ortiz-Garcia was arrested in July for retail theft after stealing various merchandise totaling over $1,000 from Walmart in Antioch. She also has prior criminal convictions.
Lake County Judge Ari Fisz granted both petitions following a detention hearing on Wednesday.
Ortiz-Garcia is scheduled to appear in court again on Wednesday for a status of preliminary hearing.