Man charged with robbing Northbrook bank at gunpoint

A man has been charged with robbing a north suburban bank at gunpoint last month.

Francisco Martinez, 24, faces one federal count of bank robbery in a criminal complaint filed Monday in U.S. District Court.

At 1:55 p.m. July 15, Martinez entered the Fifth Third Bank branch at 240 Skokie Blvd. in Northbrook with a handgun, and told a teller, “Give me the money,” according to the complaint.

The teller placed the money drawer on the counter and Martinez removed the cash and put it into an Adidas backpack, according to the complaint. He told the teller not to call police and said, “I can kill someone.”

Martinez quickly left the bank and headed west through the parking lot, according to the complaint.

Several witnesses saw him take off in a vehicle, which they described to police as a Chevrolet Malibu courtesy car from the Libertyville Chevrolet dealership, according to the complaint.

Martinez was identified as a dealership customer who drove a Malibu matching the description, according to the complaint. Martinez is a Fifth Third Bank customer, so authorities were able to obtain photos of him withdrawing money from bank ATMs. A teller identified him in photos as the robber.

At the request of law enforcement, Libertyville Chevrolet contacted Martinez and asked him to come in to the dealership for a new loaner vehicle due to a “safety recall” on the one he was driving. Martinez agreed, according to the complaint, and as he was cleaning out the loaner vehicle, he was approached by investigators.

Martinez claimed to be at a court-ordered domestic violence class at the time of the robbery, but investigators learned he had arrived late to the class, according to the complaint. Cellphone records also placed him near the bank during the holdup.

Martinez, a Waukegan resident, was ordered detained at his initial appearance in federal court Monday, according to FBI spokesman Garrett Croon.

“Great investigative assistance from the Northbrook, Vernon Hills, and Libertyville, Illinois Police Departments,” Croon said.