Peotone family robbed at gunpoint while changing flat tire

Will County — Police from Will and Kankakee counties and Indiana’s Lake County are investigating an armed robbery with a “heavy presence” in the Grant Park and Peotone area that occurred about 9:30 p.m. Friday.

According to an announcement by the Will County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook, sheriff’s deputies were called to East 12000N Road by a Peotone family who had pulled over while traveling west near Kedzie Avenue to change a flat tire.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the driver and his wife exited their Honda SUV to change the tire and a “large, dark colored SUV pulled up going eastbound with three Black, male subjects inside and asked if they needed assistance.”

The driver of the Honda reportedly said he did not need help, but two of the men exited anyway and approached the couple with guns drawn and demanded their valuables, according to the sheriff’s report.

The driver reportedly gave his wallet to one of the men, while his wife gave them cash. Police report that the second man opened the rear door of the Honda and demanded valuables from a third passenger, who was riding with her infant child. She reportedly gave the suspect a diaper bag with her wallet inside.

The couple told police that the offenders then “got back into their vehicle and drove away.”

Beecher Emergency personnel reported to the scene to check on the victims. All three were uninjured byut “visibly upset,” according to police.

After the incident, Kankakee and Lake County, Indiana, police and local municipal police were alerted and began “a saturated search of roadways, FLOCK camera information, home and farmhouse video cameras, gas stations and other business with video surveillance,” according to the Will County Sheriff’s Office.

As of Saturday morning, the suspects and their vehicle had not been identified.

According to the Will County Sheriff’s Office, the offenders are described as black men, both more than 6 feet tall with beards. They were both described as wearing dark clothing and hats, and their vehicle was described as a large, dark-colored SUV, possibly a Chevy Suburban or Tahoe.

“We are asking the public for any information that you may be able to provide regarding this incident,” the sheriff’s office said in the statement. “We encourage residents to be aware of their surroundings and if you are traveling in unlit areas, especially rural roadways, and have vehicle trouble to please call your local or county police department and request a police officer to assist you.”

Residents who were in the area around the time of the robbery or may have seen the vehicle or offenders at a nearby business are asked to contact the Will County Sheriff’s Office.

This is the first incident of this nature reported in either Will County or Kankakee County in several years. The investigation is ongoing.