Frankfort Cops Charge Ex-Con With Radio Shack Robbery

An ex-con apprehended in Oak Lawn after holding police at bay with a handgun was charged with robbing the Frankfort Radio Shack.

Reginald Taylor, 47, of 7121 S. Harvard Ave. in Chicago already faced robbery charges in connection with a Nov. 7 stickup at the Radio Shack on Harlem Avenue in Palos Heights.

In that robbery, Taylor allegedly waited for customers to leave the Palos Heights Radio Shack and locked the store's front door. He then reportedly brandished a handgun, demanded cash and absconded with what employees gave up.

Taylor headed from Palos Heights to Oak Lawn, where he went into another Radio Shack, police said. An employee of that store recognized Taylor and somebody called the cops.

Taylor fled but officers cornered him in the stairwell of a house. He was taken into custody after the hour-long standoff.

The Frankfort Radio Shack was robbed six days before the holdup in Palos Heights. Like in the later heist, Taylor allegedly menaced store employees with a handgun. One of those employees reportedly went on to pick Taylor out of a lineup conducted at the Oak Lawn Police Department.

Frankfort Deputy Police Chief Kevin Keegan said he does not know why Taylor has seemingly focused his attention on robbing Radio Shacks.

"Primarily what he was getting out of the Radio Shacks was currency," Keegan said. "Cash and smartphones."

Taylor was on parole for a residential burglary conviction out of Winnenago County at the time of the robberies. Besides various burglary convictions, he has done prison time for drugs, theft and arson.

Taylor was shipped back to Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill Tuesday. He is set to appear in Cook County court Nov. 16. No date has been scheduled for him to appear on the Frankfort charges.