Elmhurst, IL – An Illinois man on pretrial release for vehicular hijacking is facing new charges for allegedly robbing a man at gunpoint during a Facebook Marketplace transaction, despite the car being parked at the Elmhurst Police station. Isaiah Roach, 19 of Morton Grove, was denied pretrial release by Judge Joshua Dieden Friday morning.
According to DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Elmhurst Chief of Police Michael McLean, Roach responded to a Facebook Marketplace ad to purchase a car for $14,000. On June 19, Roach met the seller outside the Elmhurst Police station. The two decided to move the transaction to a nearby grocery store, believing it offered added security.
Once inside the store, Roach allegedly drew a black handgun from his waistband and threatened the victim, demanding the car keys. The victim threw his key fob at Roach and called 911 from the customer service desk. Roach then drove off in the victim’s car, which was parked at the police station at the time.
Evanston police later found the stolen car at a gas station, where they arrested Roach after a brief foot chase. Roach allegedly had the victim’s key fob in his pocket at the time of his arrest. Roach is charged with armed robbery, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, and theft.
