DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Addison Director of Police Timothy “Bill” Hayden announced today, Friday, September 15, 2023, that bond has been denied for a Chicago male resident accused of robbing an Addison Verizon store at gunpoint. Diamonte Walls, age 25, of the 9200 block of S. Bishop Street, appeared at a bond hearing this morning where Judge Ann Celine O’Hallaren Walsh granted the State’s motion to deny bond. Walls is charged with one count of Armed Robbery with a Firearm (Class X Felony) and one count of Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon (Class 2 Felony).
Initially, no charges related to fleeing and eluding police were indicated in the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s announcement.
Thursday, September 14, 2023, at approximately 12:43 p.m., officers with the Addison Police Department responded to an activated panic alarm at the Verizon store located at 1400 West Lake Street. Following an investigation into the matter, it is alleged that Walls, who was wearing a black hoodie and a black mask, entered the store with a gun and ordered all the customers onto the floor while employees gave him merchandise. Allegedly, Walls ordered three employees to the back storage room where he gave them garbage bags, and ordered the employees to fill up the bags with merchandise. Allegedly, Walls then fled the store out the front door, followed by his accomplice, who was pretending to be a customer laying on the floor. Allegedly, both men fled the scene in separate cars, Walls in a white Infiniti driven by another unidentified individual, and his accomplice in a gray Toyota. A short time later, police officers located the Infiniti on southbound I-290 near St. Charles Road. Officers successfully deployed spike strips flattening the front passenger side tire of the Infiniti. Allegedly, the driver of the Infiniti continued to drive on southbound I-294, exiting at Ogden Avenue and stopping at Elm Street and Fuller Road, approximately 1,000 feet from an elementary school. Walls and the other individual exited the car and fled on foot, according to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Police in close pursuit apprehended Walls in a backyard approximately one block away. When processing the scene, authorities found a black garbage bag containing thirty Apple iPhones, two Galaxy phones, four iPads and an Apple Watch, valued in excess of $37,000 in the same backyard where Walls was found. Police also located a Taurus G2C 9mm handgun loaded with one bullet in the chamber in the front yard of the neighboring residence. The Taurus was missing its magazine, which authorities located in the Verizon parking lot.
“It is alleged that Mr. Walls concealed his identity and armed himself with a handgun, and with another individual, entered the Verizon store in the middle of the afternoon and terrorized not only three employees just trying to make an honest living, but several customers in the store as well. Further allegations that after stealing more than $37,000 worth of merchandise and fleeing the scene, Mr. Walls attempted to avoid apprehension by running through a residential neighborhood, less than a block from a grammar school, causing the school to go into lockdown, while armed with a loaded gun are outrageous. In DuPage County, this type of alleged behavior will not be tolerated and will be met with an aggressive prosecution. I thank the Addison Police Department as well as the Berkeley, Elmhurst and Hinsdale Police Departments for their outstanding efforts which led to the apprehension of the defendant. I also thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Michael McBride and Michael Pingaj for their work in securing strong charges against Mr. Walls.”
— DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert B. Berlin
“This was a tremendous effort by several police agencies. We would like to thank the Elmhurst, Hinsdale and Berkeley Police Departments for their efforts in apprehending a violent and dangerous offender. We would also like to thank State’s Attorney Bob Berlin and his office for their assistance and legal guidance.”
— Addison Director of Police Timothy “Bill” Hayden
An investigation into identifying and locating Walls’ alleged accomplices continues. Anyone with information is asked to call the Addison Police Department at (630) 543-3080.
Walls’ next court appearance is scheduled for October 19, 2023, for arraignment in front of Judge O’Hallaren Walsh.
“Members of the public are reminded that this complaint contains only charges and is not proof of a defendant’s guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.”
— DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office
An early police radio communication indicated that all the employees were tied up, and that each of the suspects were armed with a semi-automatic handgun. Another police radio communication indicated that the first police unit arrived about 30 seconds after the suspects fled the scene. A Verizon Wireless spokesperson indicated that all information from the CARDINAL NEWS report yesterday was not accurate, and cordially requested that CARDINAL NEWS check the accuracy of the information with law enforcement authorities. The only four pieces of information pertaining to the actual robbery at the Verizon Wireless store published by CARDINAL NEWS that differs from the state’s attorney’s statement is that …
1) the state’s attorney’s statement does not mention that anyone was tied up,
2) the state’s attorney’s statement does not mention that police arrived on the scene of the robbery about 30 seconds after the suspects departed the scene,
3) the state’s attorney’s statement does not mention that both suspects were armed — only that Diamonte Walls was located in a backyard where he was apprehended, next door to a residence where a Taurus G2C 9mm handgun was found in the front yard — and,
4) the reported time of the robbery was 12:42 p.m. and the state’s attorney’s office reported the time of the robbery to be 12:43 p.m.
If any customers or other witnesses can verify that people were tied up, or confirm that people were not tied up; please contact CARDINAL NEWS at notifycardinalnews.com.
Note: As in many cases, for the integrity of the investigation and security of law enforcement personnel, or other people or businesses involved in the case; there is additional information that CARDINAL NEWS has not published that is known by law enforcement.
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