Local Police Reports

Attempted Armed Robbery At Currency Exchange


Park Forest, IL–(ENEWSPF)– Park Forest police were called to the Norwood Currency Exchange a week ago Sunday to investigate an attempted armed robbery when a man allegedly told an employee he had a bomb.

Police were dispatched to the Norwood Currency Exchange, a 20 Norwood Square Boulevard, on Sunday, January 7, just before 7:30 p.m. While responding, SouthCom dispatch notified officers that the alleged offender had left the Currency Exchange and was wearing a white scarf.

Upon arrival, an employee told police that a male subject wearing a dark hat and white scarf approached the service window and placed what looked to be a stick of dynamite and a blue gym bag on the service window counter. According to police, the subject said that he had a remote in his pocket and that the dynamite would not blow up as long as he did not press the button. The subject warned the employee not to set off any alarms and instructed her to fill the gym bag with all the money she had and to meet him outside, across the street from the store, according to police. Additionally, the subject allegedly told her that she had 30 seconds to comply with these instructions.

According to police, as the subject was going out the door, he said he was dying from AIDS and did not care what happened.

The employee immediately activated an alarm, left the counter area, grabbed the items off the service counter window, and threw both items outside the store. She was then able to secure the exterior door and returned to the teller area, where she dialed 911.

According to police, the subject was wearing a dark knit cap, white scarf, a dark winter jacket with an unknown logo, dark pants and boots. According to police, he was approximately 5’8" tall.


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