Man charged with robbing downtown bank, shooting security guard
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A man has been charged with robbing a downtown bank earlier this month, and shooting a security guard before making his getaway.
Jawad Hakeem is charged with one count of bank robbery in the heist and shooting at the Fifth Third Bank branch at 1 S. Wacker Dr. on Mach 9.
According to the charges, the FBI was able to connect him to the robbery because he gave his phone number to a woman outside the bank just before the heist, and she recognized him from news coverage of the robbery.
Just before 3 p.m. on March 9, Hakeem walked into the bank, pointed a gun at two employees in the lobby, and yelled "I'm robbing you! Get down! There is a bullet in the chamber!" according to the charges.
Hakeem then threw a plastic bag on two bank employees' workstations, and demanded $100,000 in $100 bills, and threatened to kill them.
As a different employee in another room called 911 and pressed a bank panic button, the first two employees filled up Hakeem's bag with cash.
Hakeem then grabbed the bag and ran for the exit, where a security guard drew his gun and got into a shootout with him. The security guard unloaded his revolver and took cover while he reloaded.
After kneeling to gather up cash he had dropped, Hakeem ran east on Madison Street. According to the charges, he made off with $23,900.
The guard suffered a gunshot wound to his hand and declined medical attention.
Several hours after the bank robbery, a woman called in a tip, saying she had crossed paths with Hakeem about 15 minutes before the bank robbery in the alley outside the bank, as he was wearing a surgical mask, a black hooded jacket, a red cap, blue winter gloves, and jeans – the same clothes Hakeem was wearing during the robbery, according to the charges.
The woman said he asked for a cigarette, and began telling her he was a "sugar daddy" and running for president in 2024. The two spoke for a few minutes, and he gave her his phone number.
According to the charges, Hakeem also has a Facebook page under the username "Prince Hakeem," where in a post two days after the robbery, he wrote "I've been a Sugar_Daddy since 2005[.]"
When the woman who ran into Hakeem later saw news coverage of the robbery, including surveillance images of the gunman, she recognized him and called the FBI.
Hakeem was arrested four days later in Waukegan on unrelated theft charges, and Waukegan Police learned he had previously booked room at the Best Motel at 65th and King in Chicago, and after he failed to check out of his room, staff found his clothes, a gun, and other belongings behind.
The hotel turned over the gun to Chicago Police, who confirmed it was consistent with the 9mm shell casings left behind by Hakeem during a shootout with a security guard during the bank robbery. Gloves found in the hotel room also matched those he wore during the bank robbery.
Court information for Hakeem was not immediately available. According to Lake County Sheriff's office records, he remains in custody at the Lake County Jail.