River Forest police tie couple to four robberies
Chicago pair allegedly grabbed purses, backpack and phones from pedestrians

By Jean Lotus
After three recent strong-arm robberies of pedestrians along the east edge of River Forest, a beefed-up police patrol was in the right place at the right time when a fourth victim was attacked Aug. 10 around 3:15 p.m. in the 900 block of Bonnie Brae.
The victim, a female, reported to police that a suspect approached her, snatched a cellphone from her hand and ran away.
Police quickly located a gold Hyundai leaving the area and stopped it. The vehicle matched the description of a vehicle involved a previous robbery.
Tanara Andrus, 21, and Anzio Phillips, 18, both of the 2100 block of South Springfield in Chicago, were taken into custody at that time. A third person inside the vehicle, a 21-year-old man, was released without being charged.
After completing their investigation, River Forest police say they have linked Andrus and Phillips to three other robberies between Aug. 3 and Aug. 7, including the following:
- On Aug. 3, around 7:15 p.m. a victim reported that a male approached and forcefully grabbed her purse and ran away near the intersection of Harlem and Quick.
- On Aug.6 at 8:30 p.m. male victim was robbed when two subjects forcefully took his backpack at the same location as the Aug. 3 incident. The stolen bag contained a tablet computer and a laptop.
- On Aug. 7, around 8 p.m., a female victim reported that a male approached her near the intersection of Lemoyne and Lathrop, forcefully took an iPhone from her and ran away.
On Monday, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office approved felony robbery charges against Andrus and Phillips for the robbery on Aug. 10. In addition, Phillips was charged with robbery in connection with the incidents on Aug. 6 and 7. The Aug. 3 robbery remains under investigation, according to police.
Both Andrus and Phillips appeared at a bond hearing on Tuesday at the Maybrook courthouse.
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