Men Arrested In Westmont Armed Robbery: Cops

WESTMONT, IL – Two men were arrested Tuesday in connection with robbing another man at gunpoint in broad daylight in a public place in Westmont, police said.

Nicholas Cozzie, 20, of Woodridge, and Jakob Evans, 18, of Wood Dale, were charged with felony armed robbery with a firearm, authorities said.

About 5 p.m. Tuesday, Westmont police were called to the Suffield Apartments for an armed robbery.

The victim had placed an Xbox Series X console and accessories for sale on the OfferUp application and arranged to sell the items to another user on the app, according to a news release from DuPage County prosecutors.

The purchaser, identified as Evans, texted the victim that he was outside in the parking lot, so the victim went there to meet him, police said.

Two men, identified as Evans and Cozzie, drove toward him in a Toyota Yaris, according to the news release. They introduced themselves as the buyers.

After inspecting the items, Cozzie put them in the car and told the victim they would pay electronically, police said.

Evans then pulled out a black and silver handgun, pointed it at the victim and took the victim's phone, saying it was his now, authorities said.

Evans told the victim to run, calling him the n-word, police said.

As the victim ran away and called police, the suspects drove off.

About 5:40 p.m., a DuPage County sheriff's deputy saw the Toyota headed east on 75th Street near Interstate 355 and stopped the men, police said.

During the stop, Evans, the passenger, ran away, while Cozzie tried to get away but was caught by other officers, police said. Evans was apprehended after a brief foot pursuit.

Police said they found a black and silver Smith and Wesson SD9 VE handgun in the glove box and a black BB gun underneath the driver's seat.

DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin called the crime alarming and warned about such transactions.

"(I)f you are selling items privately, there are steps you can take to protect yourself, such as choosing a public location for the sale, meeting during daylight hours if possible, researching the buyer if possible or bringing someone else with you," he said in the release. "I also encourage everyone to trust your instincts – if something doesn’t feel right, leave immediately."

A DuPage County judge ordered the men to stay in jail before their trial.