Man charged with Family Dollar robbery, leading Aurora police on chase

A man has been charged with robbing one store, trying to rob another store and then leading police on a chase last week in west suburban Aurora.

Reginald Parker, 43, faces charges of aggravated robbery, attempted robbery and aggravated fleeing/attempting to elude a police officer, according to Aurora police and the Kane County sheriff’s office.

About 8:20 p.m. Nov. 21, Parker entered a Family Dollar on North Farnsworth Avenue near Sheffer Road, approached the 29-year-old man working at the counter and demanded money, police said. He was wearing a mask and was armed with “what appeared to be a handgun.” The employee complied and Park ran away northbound from the store with an undisclosed amount of money.

About 9:15 p.m. Nov. 25, Parker demanded money from a 57-year-old woman working at a 7-Eleven in the 1700 block of North Farnsworth, police said. He was again wearing a mask and armed with what looked like a gun. The woman refused to give him any money, and Parker left the business empty-handed.

No injuries were reported in either incident, police said.

Detectives reviewed surveillance video from the 7-Eleven attempted robbery and got the license plate for Parker’s 2013 Chevrolet SUV, police said. Investigators then set up surveillance on Parker at a fast food restaurant he manages in the 2100 block of West Main Street in St. Charles.

When Parker left his job about 9:45 p.m. Dec. 4, officers followed him and tried to stop his vehicle as he turned to enter I-88 in North Aurora, police said. He instead accelerated and led police on a chase, which was terminated when he turned west on Sullivan Road from southbound North Lake Street.

Parker, who lives in Aurora, was arrested Dec. 13 in Yorkville in an unrelated incident, police said. Two replica handguns and a mask were among items recovered from his vehicle.

He is also a suspect in several other robberies that have happened in and near Aurora, police said.

Parker has been ordered held at the Kane County Adult Justice Center on a $1,060,000 bond, according to the sheriff’s office. He was due back in court on Dec. 20.