COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — An Englewood teen was paid $200 to listen to a police scanner during a crash-and-grab robbery, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Phillips Hershel, 18, told police he acted as lookout while several pals stole more than $1,400 of clothing from a Chatham store on Oct. 31, Assistant State's Attorney Erin Antonietti said in court Tuesday.
The group had purposely crashed a stolen Dodge Ram truck into the store at 112 W. 87th St., prosecutors said.
Hershel ran to a nearby McDonald's to keep watch, Antonietti said, while his accomplices stole designer clothing and ran off.
Hershel was one of four men arrested this week following a police investigation on smash-and-grab robberies. Authorities said all four men were affiliated with the Gangster Disciples and had participated in various North Side robberies over the past few months.
According to an arrest report, police picked up Hershel on Sunday when he refused to leave the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, 2233 S. Martin Luther King Drive.
He was walking the hallways with several of the other smash-and-grab suspects, the report said, when security asked him to go.
Hershel, of the 5800 block of South Peoria Street, was arrested about 4:35 a.m. Sunday and charged with theft, criminal trespass and two counts of burglary.
The teen is currently on juvenile parole for carjacking, Antonietti said. He has one other pending case: an Oak Street robbery that took place before his 18th birthday. Hershel was charged as a juvenile, Antonietti said, adding that the suspects made off with $100,000 of merchandise in that case.
Cook County Judge Donald Panarese Jr. on Tuesday ordered Hershel held in lieu of $250,000 bail.
The three other charged men include:
• Kenneth Greene, 23, of the 5600 block of South Emerald Avenue, charged with burglary.
• Jawon Sellers, 24, of the 10100 block of South LaSalle Street, charged with burglary.
• Tommie Adams, 22, of the 10100 block of South LaSalle Street, charged with burglary and theft.
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