Police: Menthol smoking man robbed 4 NW suburban gas stations

(PALATINE) A man who stole cash and cigarettes at gunpoint from a northwest suburban gas station Monday is believed to be responsible for at least three similar crimes in the area.

The Cook County sheriff’s office on Tuesday released a surveillance photo of the suspect who robbed a gas station in an unincorporated area near Palatine.

About 2 a.m. Monday, sheriff’s police were notified of the incident in the 1400 block of North Quentin Road, in which a man show a handgun and demanded money, a statement from the sheriff’s office said.

He was given an undisclosed amount of cash, and also took menthol cigarettes before running out of the station, police said.

Dressed in a red jacket and red cap, he is described as a black male with a medium build about 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-10. He also wore a gray scarf, gloves and dark pants.

Police believe the same man was involved in an attempted armed robbery earlier Monday morning at a gas station in Schaumburg, as well as armed robberies in Park Ridge and Prospect Heights.

Anyone with information or recognizing the suspect should call the sheriff’s office at (708) 865-4896.