Habitual Criminal Charged With August Armed Robbery: Cops

JOLIET, IL — A Joliet man was jailed in connection with an August armed robbery on Roy Avenue.

Michael Travis, 24, was taken into custody last week and charged with armed robbery, aggravated robbery, robbery, the unlawful use of a weapon and being an armed habitual criminal.

Travis allegedly held a 46-year-old man up on Roy Avenue near Peale Street on Aug. 24.

The day after the stickup, the man who was robbed reportedly told Will County deputies that he was dropping off a 16-year-old family friend in an apartment complex parking lot when a man wearing a black hood stuck a gun in his face and threatened to blow his head off.

The gunman demanded money and made off with $175, as well as the man’s cell phone and video camera.

The gunman then got in a car and drove away.

“While deputies were on scene taking the statement from the victim, another deputy was en route and observed a van occupied with 5 individuals with the side doors open and a strong smell of cannabis coming out from inside the van,” police said. “The deputy stopped his vehicle and spoke with the individuals,” among whom was the 16-year-old girl who was with the man when he was robbed the night before.

“Deputies were given consent to search the vehicle and found two items of drug paraphernalia and a handgun,” police said.

The driver, 20-year-old Bryan Travis, was charged with possession of drug equipment and driving without a license. A passenger, Aaron Vidales, 20, was charged with the aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by a gang member, unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a firearm without an owner’s identification card.

Those two, the teen, and the two others were reportedly taken in for questioning and information was developed linking Michael Travis to the robbery, police said.