Three Kenosha, Wisconsin, men who stole jewelry while armed with a rifle during a failed Facebook Marketplace transaction in Harvard have been arrested and charged with armed robbery, authorities said.
Harvard Police said officers were dispatched to the area of Route 14/North Division Street and North Garfield Street for a report of an armed robbery at 1:42 a.m. on Thursday, officials said.
The victims, who hail from Janesville, Wisconsin, told police they had been selling jewelry through Facebook Marketplace and arranged a sale with the three offenders in Harvard.
After agreeing on a price, the parties arranged to meet in the 1100 block of North Jefferson Street to complete the transaction, police said.
During the meeting, the offenders displayed a rifle and stole the jewelry before fleeing northbound out of town into Wisconsin.
The victims gave chase but lost sight of the offending vehicle after they crossed into Wisconsin, police said.
The Walworth County Sheriff’s Office was provided with the suspect vehicle description.
Walworth County Deputies pursued the vehicle into Racine County, Wisconsin, where, with assistance from the Racine County Sheriff’s Office, spike strips were deployed to disable the vehicle.
The three offenders, all from Kenosha, Wisconsin, were taken into custody without incident.
The stolen jewelry and the rifle were recovered inside the vehicle.
The offenders were identified as 24-year-old Dominick D. Black, 19-year-old Blair W. Stiles II, and Solomon A. Bankhead, 25, officials said.
After consultation with the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office, one count of Armed Robbery was approved for each suspect, police said.
All three offenders are currently held in the Walworth County Jail awaiting an extradition hearing.
This incident remains under investigation, police said, and additional charges may be forthcoming.