WEST RIDGE — On Tuesday, Father Jim Barrett of St. Margaret Mary's Parish in West Ridge was dropping off an unusually large deposit at Devon Bank when he was tackled and robbed — about three feet from the door, he said.
"It happened so fast, it was kind of crazy," Barrett said. "It's like, this didn't happen."
He said $8,000 worth of checks and cash were taken in all.
Barrett, who has been head pastor at the church for 9½ years, said as he got out of his car, he first noticed a man walking toward him wearing pajama pants — which caught Barrett's eye. As the man approached, Barrett said he believed the man was going to ask him a question.
But as Barrett was about to enter the bank at 6445 N. Western Ave., he said he realized "something's gonna happen."
The man tackled him, grabbed the deposit bag containing church money, and fled down an alley behind the bank before turning right onto Arthur Avenue, Barrett said.
"I was not gonna chase him, I just wanted to see where he was going," said Barrett, who was not injured. "I didn't know if he had a gun or anything. It's better to get rid of the money than to have anybody shooting me or anyone else who gets in the way."
He said he called police and went inside the bank where he told employees what happened and they offered assistance and condolences.
Barrett said police responded to the scene "as fast as you could possibly respond," with multiple vehicles to see if the man was still nearby. Chicago Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Sash Pradeep, a security officer at the bank, said he could not comment on the case because of the ongoing Chicago Police investigation, but said the bank encourages customers to be aware of their surroundings.
During the holidays, Pradeep said some people can become "extremely desperate."
Barrett declined to give a description of the man because he did not want to put the ongoing police investigation in jeopardy, he said, but did confirm the account was caught on bank security cameras.
At the time of the robbery, Barrett said he was carrying much more cash than he normally does — $2,000 — because the church had recently collected fees from its before- and afterschool programs and recently held several fundraisers. The other $6,000 was in checks.
"We're always having fundraisers, we're a Catholic church," Barrett said. "It goes with it."
St. Margaret Mary Church, 2324 W. Chase Ave. in West Ridge., tries to deposit its weekly donation and collection funds at varied times as to not draw the attention of criminals. [Google]
As part of its normal deposit practice, Barrett said the church changes the days and times of when officials visit the bank each week, so as to not create a pattern potential-robbers may notice.
He said he's considering making sure he's accompanied with a maintenance man the next time he makes a deposit.
Since the incident, Barrett said he's received an outpouring of support from his congregation, as well as community members.
Police have kept him updated on their progress as well, he said, and the bank's president recently stopped by to offer Barrett apologies.
Barrett said he is very appreciative of all the help he's received in the robbery's aftermath.
"It's been really supportive. It's only money," he said, and "nobody got hurt."
To make a donation to St. Margaret Mary's Parish, click here.
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