Pretrial release was denied Nov. 26 for two Cook County individuals accused of robbing at gunpoint an Elmhurst 7-Eleven.
Ditalion Barnett, 27, of the 3500 block of Douglas Boulevard, Chicago, and Adyria Moore, 23, of the 300 block of Iroquois Road, Hillside, each have been charged with one count of armed robbery with a firearm, according to a DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office news release.
About 7:56 p.m. Nov. 24, Elmhurst police responded to a call of an armed robbery at the 7-Eleven store located at 572 S. York St. After an investigation, it is alleged that Barnett, wearing a face mask, entered the store, selected a Snapple and approached the register. Once at the register, Barnett displayed a handgun and told the clerk “give me everything,” which the clerk refused to do, according to the release.
Barnett allegedly told the clerk, “I’m going to shoot you.” When the clerk again refused Barnett’s commands, Barnett took the Snapple and left the store without paying. He got into a vehicle, driven by Moore, and fled the scene, according to the release.
The investigation also found that Barnett and Moore allegedly had planned the robbery, with Moore supplying Barnett with the address of the 7-Eleven two days before the robbery. On Nov. 25, Barnett and Moore were located at a Bellwood gas station and taken into custody without incident, according to the release.
“In DuPage County, we will not stand for the type of violent gun crime alleged in this case,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in the release. “This type of criminal behavior has no place in society and will be met with the full force of the law. We are all thankful that the clerk, who was just trying to make an honest living, was not physically harmed.”
“Violent crime will not be tolerated in Elmhurst and this case is another great example of strong interagency cooperation and our officers’ dedication to hold offenders accountable for crime in our community,” Elmhurst Chief of Police Michael McLean said in the release.
The next court appearance for both defendants is scheduled for Dec. 18 for arraignment.
Because the crime allegedly was committed with a handgun, if found guilty, sentencing guidelines require a 15-year enhancement to any sentence imposed by the judge, resulting in a minimum sentence of 21 years.