Update: Two 19-year-old DeKalb men charged in armed robbery at Marathon gas station

Two DeKalb men are facing armed robbery charges after a drug deal gone bad Thursday night at the Marathon gas station on Sycamore Road, court records show.

Quintarius C. Randolph, 19, of the 900 block of Crane Drive in DeKalb, is charged with armed robbery, defacing identification marks on a firearm and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon without a fireman owner’s identification card. Darneil A. Franklin, 19, also of the 900 block of Crane Drive in DeKalb, also is charged with armed robbery.

If convicted of the most serious crime, armed robbery, the two could face up to 30 years in prison and fines of up to $25,000.

According to DeKalb County court records, Franklin told police they initially were going to meet a man in the parking lot of the Marathon gas station to sell him marijuana Thursday night.

Instead, when the man got into the back seat of a white Chevrolet Malibu in the parking lot of the gas station to buy the drug, Randolph pointed a loaded silver and black Bersa .380 caliber handgun at the alleged victim and stole some cash.

During their virtual bond hearing Friday afternoon, DeKalb County Circuit Court Judge Robbin Stuckert set Franklin’s bond at $10,000. He would have to post $1,000 to get out of jail.

Stuckert set Randolph’s bond at $50,000 because at the time of the alleged robbery, the 19-year-old was out on bail from a pending Cook County case that also involved gun-related charges, including armed robbery, aggravated vehicular hijacking with a firearm and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

Randolph would have to post $5,000 to get out of jail. If either man is able to post bond, they’d also be placed on electronic home monitoring, Stuckert ruled. They were ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim.

Franklin does not have any adult criminal history, Assistant State’s Attorney Alicia Caplan said, but she added Cook County records show he has some juvenile charges. It is unclear whether those charges, including a juvenile arrest for a robbery in 2018 and charges of unlawful use of a weapon, carried convictions.

The charges follow reports of an armed robbery Thursday night at the Marathon gas station, 1734 Sycamore Road, DeKalb.

Less than 15 minutes after sending a citywide alert to be on the lookout for a white Malibu, DeKalb police reported Thursday that they had detained multiple people involved in the incident at the gas station.

DeKalb acting Police Chief Bob Redel said Thursday that one man, later identified as Randolph, was in custody after being found with a loaded handgun linked to the armed robbery, and a second was undergoing questioning by DeKalb police in connection with the robbery.

Redel said the victim was robbed of money but did not specify an amount.

According to a citywide alert text sent about 7:45 p.m. Thursday, police found the white Chevrolet Malibu in the 1900 block of Sycamore Road. An initial alert was sent about 7:35 p.m. warning the public about the incident and asking them to be alert for the suspected vehicle.

DeKalb County court records show the robbery was reported about
7:20 p.m. Thursday. Records show police found Franklin was the driver of the car, while Randolph rode in the front seat.

While conducting a search of Randolph, police found the loaded handgun with a defaced serial number in a small handbag Randolph was wearing, records show.