HUMBOLDT PARK — The owner of a store that was firebombed during an armed robbery on Halloween was beaten bloody in an earlier robbery in June in a case caught on surveillance video at the store.
Halloween masked-offenders robbed a Humboldt Park convenience store at gunpoint Saturday night before setting fire to the shop while employees were still inside, according to police and store owner.
RELATED: Store Firebombed By Halloween-Mask Wearing Robbers
The robbery and arson was the latest of a string of crimes and threats made against Amigo Grocery Store, 3358 W. LeMoyne St., according to owner Abdulsalam Alawi.
In June, a man entered the store and appears to walk behind the counter, according to a video of the incident shown to DNAinfo Chicago. The timestamp on the video is 4:23 p.m. on June 15.
Alawi grabs something and begins hitting the intruder with it, then also tries to hit him with a chair. But the man began striking Alawi, who grabs his head, which appears to be bleeding. Alawi then stops struggling and gives money from the register.
The shop was robbed by someone armed with a handgun on June 15 at 5:45 p.m. and no arrest was made, according to the city's crime dataset.
Police did not immediately have information on the June incident Monday.
In Saturday night's robbery, Alawi's 16-year-old son and his brother were both working Saturday night when the three masked robbers came into the store about 8:27 p.m., according to Alawi and police.
One of the suspects held the 16-year-old to the floor with a gun pressed to his body near to the entrance while a second robber held a gun to Alawi's 46-year-old brother's head, Alawi said.
"He said, 'Give me all the money m----- f-----'," Alawi said.
One of the robbers struck Alawi's brother, 46, possibly with the gun, and took about $800 in cash, according to Alawi.
As the robbers left, they threw a bag they had brought into the shop with them, which the 16-year-old noticed was on fire, he said.
Both employees were able to escape the blaze before the store erupted in flames.
The owner's brother was taken to an area hospital by ambulance, but was back home Monday and on pain medications for his rib injury, according to Alawi.
Saturday's robbery and arson was not captured on surveillance video. Alawi said one of the wires connected to the camera was clipped.
A DNAinfo reporter was unable to enter the shop to confirm Monday afternoon.
Detectives are investigating the robbery and the Chicago Police Department's arson unit is involved, according to Officer Ana Pacheco, a Chicago Police spokeswoman.
No description of the offenders or any further information was available from police.
Sonia Felix, a former employee of the store who lives on the same block, said the shop is constantly robbed and its employees are intimidated by customers.
About two months ago, a woman got into an altercation in the store and threatened to burn it down, Felix said.
Alawi said he is unsure about the future of the business.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
