18-Year-Old Charged In Niles Walmart Armed Robbery After Threats

NILES, IL — Police said a man arrested this week on charges he posted threats of a school shooting on social media carried out an armed robbery last month in Niles.

Jonathan Reyes, 18, of the 4500 block of North Oak Park Avenue, Harwood Heights, was identified by witnesses the shoplifter who brandished a firearm at store employees on Aug. 11 inside the Walmart at 5630 W. Touhy Ave., according to a statement from Niles police.

At the time, police said a man pointed a silver gun while shoplifting a box fan. He was joined by a woman in her late 20s or early 30s.

Prosecutors approved a charge of with armed robbery with a firearm, a class X felony, and a judge approved a warrant for Reyes' arrest.

Niles detectives went to Reyes' house Wednesday but he was not home. They called up a family member, who called Reyes on his cell phone. He answered, but refused to say where he was. While police were looking for him, he made a threat to Ridgewood High School, according to Niles police.

That same day, Norridge police said they began investigating social media posts where a person later identified as Reyes threatens to "shoot up" the high school and is pictured holding a handgun, Norridge Police Chief David Disselhorst said in a statement.

Police said they learned Reyes could be headed to a home in the 4000 block of Oleander Avenue. Officers found a firearm and learned from the people at the residence that Reyes was still inside. Police called for a SWAT team to help continue to search for officers' safety, according to Disselhorst.

Reyes was found hiding in a closet in the basement, he said.

Two other 18-year-olds were taken into custody at the scene and charged with felony obstructing justice, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, which reported Reyes was a former Ridgewood High School student.

Earlier: Shoplifter Draws Gun On Walmart Staff In Niles: Police