6 charged with Loop convenience store robberies

Three men, a woman and two teenage girls have been charged with a pair of Loop convenience store robberies earlier this month.

The group walked into a 7-Eleven store in the 0-100 block of East Lake about 1:45 a.m. Feb. 1 and pushed a store employee before running away “with several items of merchandise,” according to Chicago Police.

The following week, they stole more items from another store in the 800 block of South State after hitting an employee in the face about 11:45 p.m. Feb. 9, police said.

Two hours after that, they were arrested on one of the Dearborn stops along the CTA Blue Line after hitting and robbing a 28-year-old man on a train, police said.

Na Eem Hoskins, a 24-year-old man from the 1000 block of West Lawrence; Allen McDowell, a 23-year-old from the 4000 block of North Sheridan; and 19-year-old Emmanuel Hunter of the 100 block of West Elm each were charged with felony counts of robbery, armed robbery and aggravated battery of a transit employee, police said.

McDowell had also been wanted for the sexual assault and robbery of a 26-year-old man in Grant Park about 11 p.m. Feb. 2 in the 300 block of South Columbus, police said.

Deashley Woodard, a 19-year-old woman who also lives in the 1000 block of West Lawrence Avenue, faces two counts of armed robbery and one each of aggravated battery to a transit employee and aggravated battery to a merchant.

Additionally, two girls, ages 16 and 17, were handed down felony armed robbery and misdemeanor retail theft charges. Their names were withheld because they are minors.

A judge on Friday set bond at $2 million for McDowell and $1 million apiece for Hoskins, Hunter and Woodard, according to the Cook County sheriff’s office. They are due back in court Feb. 17.