(WWJ) — The FBI is searching for a group of suspects they say is responsible for robberies in multiple Midwest states, including Michigan.
The FBI - Chicago Facebook page on Wednesday announced a $15,000 reward is being offered for tips that help investigators identify masked robbers.
Officials say the suspects are responsible for robberies in Bridgeview, Illinois — a southwestern suburb of Chicago — in July 2023 and January 2024, as well as in Dearborn on Aug. 7 and in Winchester, Missouri this September.
Authorities have not said why they believe the robberies are all connected. Photos in the FBI - Chicago show men in masks pointing weapons, while one of the suspects is seen hopping the counter.
After the Dearborn incident back in August, police shared photos of the suspects wearing rubber masks, though they were different from the ones shared by the FBI. Dearborn police also included photos of the suspects' car.
At the time, Dearborn police officials said it happened around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 7 at Mariam Jewelry on Schaefer, near Warren Avenue. Officials said the suspects, one of them armed with a rifle, demanded the employees and customers get on the ground.
One of the suspects held everyone at gunpoint while the other ransacked the store and loaded several items into a bag.
The suspects left the store when an employee fired several rounds towards them, police officials said. They fled the scene in a black sedan, possibly a 2011-13 model year Mazda 3 with paint peeling on the hood and trunk of the car.
The FBI has not released any information about the robberies in Illinois or Missouri and it was not clear how they may be related.
Anyone who recognizes the suspects or knows something about the robberies is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit tips.fbi.gov. Tipsters can remain anonymous.
More on today's top stories: