An image of police tape blocking off a crime scene. (carlballou / Getty Images)
By Michael Austin June 6, 2026 at 3:30am
A restaurant owner in a Chicago suburb was confronted by an armed robber but he survived the encounter after crying out to God.
The owner of Arepa Express, which is located on Lake Street in the Melrose Park neighborhood, had a handgun pointed at him by an unmasked robber on May 12, per a report from WFLD-TV.
“I thought he was going to shoot me,” the unnamed owner said.
“When someone pulls out a gun, it’s because they’re going to use it. I thought, ‘God help me.’”
Video of the incident was caught on security cameras and posted on social media by WLS-TV.
A terrifying suburban robbery was caught on camera. https://t.co/8IK3iQvv0E pic.twitter.com/uDZaPYP91N
— ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) May 19, 2026
The owner described that the alleged thief first came to the restaurant to eat.
He ordered food, left the restaurant, and returned multiple times asking to use the restroom.
“After the third time he returns. He takes out his gun and points it at me and threatened to kill me,” the owner described.
“I don’t wish that experience on anybody.”
The robber allegedly left with $10,000 in jewelry, including the owner’s 18-karat Gucci chain, a bracelet, and a ring.
“It’s my graduation ring from when I graduated law school in 2014. It was a gift from my parents,” he said.
The owner of Arepa Express in Melrose Park was held at gunpoint & robbed last week by a man who he says he believes is from his community & country.
The man sat down to eat a meal then returned multiple times asking to use the bathroom before the robbery happened.
He didn’t… pic.twitter.com/91Ri32hltB
— Libs Of Chicago (@Libs_OfChicago) May 19, 2026
A customer called 911 after the alleged robber fled.
“He told me to get on the floor, so I did. After a few seconds, a customer came over to help me get up and tell me that he was gone,” the owner recounted.
The owner of the restaurant is originally from Venezuela.
He told WFLD-TV that the robbery was especially hard to process not only because of the sentimental value of the ring, but because the robber seemed to be from the same community and nation.
“I’ve been a resident for eight years now and it’s always a shame when it’s your own people doing these crimes.”
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Michael wrote for several entertainment news outlets before joining The Western Journal in 2020. He now serves as Managing Editor, which involves managing the editorial team and operations, guiding the publication’s editorial direction, and writing, editing, curating and assigning stories as needed.
Birthplace
Ames, Iowa
Nationality
American
Education
Iowa State University
Topics of Expertise
Cultural Politics, Pop Culture, Christian-Conservatism
