Bloomingdale man accused of attempting to rob West Chicago gas station at gun point: prosecutors

A Bloomingdale man accused of attempting to rob at gunpoint a West Chicago gas station will remain in jail until at least his next court date, prosecutors said.

Filip Simonovic, of the 140 block of South Prairie Avenue, is charged with one count each of attempt armed robbery with a firearm and unlawful possession of a weapon, three counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, two counts of misdemeanor DUI and one count of misdemeanor transportation of open alcohol by a driver, according to a DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office news release.

About 1:25 a.m. May 27, a West Chicago police officer entered the Thornton’s Gas Station,1330 S. Neltnor Blvd., to make a purchase.

While the officer was in line, the clerk indicated that an individual at the counter, later identified as Simonovic, had pointed a gun at him, according to the release.

After speaking with Simonovic, police discovered that he was carrying two firearms: a loaded Beretta Mod 950BS .25 caliber with seven rounds in the magazine and a loaded Beretta Mod 92FS 9mm handgun with 10 rounds in the magazine. He also was wearing body armor under a button-up shirt, according to the release.

Police searched Simonovic’s car and found ammunition and three additional firearms, including a loaded Ruger revolver .357 magnum, a loaded carbine Zastava M92 and a loaded Smith & Wesson SW9VE 9mm, authorities said.

Officers also found open alcohol in Simonovic’s vehicle. His blood alcohol content was .147 when he was arrested, according to the release.

An investigation revealed that Simonovic entered the gas station to buy cigarettes. As the clerk began to ring his purchase, Simonovic displayed a handgun and demanded the money that was in two cash registers, according to the release.

Simonovic removed a second gun from his waistband and pointed it at the victim. He concealed the weapons when police approached the station’s entrance, authorities said.

“As a society, we must never tolerate or become numb to armed violence,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin said in the release. “It is alleged that in a botched armed robbery attempt, Mr. Simonovic pointed two loaded weapons at an individual who was working the midnight shift at a local gas station just trying to make an honest living. This type of behavior will not be tolerated in DuPage County and will be met with the full force of the law.”

“This incident underscores the real dangers our officers face every day,” West Chicago Chief of Police Colin Fleury said in the release. “The offender’s use of a bulletproof vest, along with two handguns, accompanied by two more handguns, an assault-style weapon and a cache of ammunition in his vehicle, serves as a stark reminder that the line between life and death can often come down to sheer luck.”

Simonovic’s next court appearance is scheduled for June 23.