Joliet man robbed store while wielding knife: cops

A Joliet man stole cash from a Metro PCS store in Joliet while wielding a knife, police said.

About 1 p.m. Wednesday, officers responded to the Metro PCS store at 691 Collins St. after receiving a report of an armed robbery, according to a Joliet police news release.

Metro PCS is located next to America’s Medical Center and Toothworks Dental Incorporated. The businesses are inside of a lot that is near the corner of Herkimer and Collins streets.

When the officers arrived at Metro PCS, they determined that a man entered the store, pulled out a knife and asked an employee where the money was kept, police said.

“The male then walked behind the counter and removed currency from the cash register,” police said.

The man fled from the store in a vehicle, police said.

After further investigation of the incident, the officers were able to identify the suspect as Daniel Velez-Diaz, 35, of the 600 block of Francis Street, police said.

About 3 p.m. Friday, officers saw Velez-Diaz operating a vehicle in the area of Black and Bronk roads, police said.

Velez-Diaz was arrested on probable cause of armed robbery. No formal charges appeared to have been filed against in him court as of Monday afternoon, court records show.

He was taken to the Will County jail at 6 p.m. Friday. He remains in jail on a $20,000 bond and will need to post $2,000 for his release.

Velez-Diaz was scheduled for a court hearing at 9 a.m. Saturday and he was set to appear for a hearing on his bond at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Will County Courthouse in Joliet.