Alton Man Charged With Armed Robbery And More Faces Five Felonies

ALTON - After allegedly robbing the same liquor store at gunpoint twice in one month, fleeing from police, and more, an Alton man faces five total felonies for a series of incidents that occurred over the course of March 2024.

Jonathan L. North, 31, of Alton, was charged with five total counts, including two counts of armed robbery (both Class X felonies), two counts of aggravated unlawful use of weapons, and one count of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer (each Class 4 felonies). On March 1, 2024, and again on March 18, 2024, North allegedly took U.S. currency by use of force from In N' Out Package Liquor in Alton while he was armed with a firearm.

On the second occasion, North was additionally charged for carrying a Taurus .38 revolver in his vehicle which was uncased, loaded, and immediately accessible at the time of the offense, when North had no valid Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card.

Between the two armed robbery charges, North was also charged on March 2, 2024, with aggravated unlawful use of weapons and aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer. He allegedly had a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun on his person which was uncased, loaded, and immediately accessible at a time when he had no FOID card or Concealed Carry permit. North also reportedly fled at least 21 miles per hour over the legal speed limit from a peace officer signaling him to stop his vehicle.

A petition filed to deny North’s pretrial release provides a chronological timeline of events in this case:

• 3/1: A suspect matching the defendant's height and build entered the In and Out Liquor store wearing a mask and approached an employee demanding money while displaying a handgun. The employee provided currency from the register and the suspect fled. Surveillance showed him flee in an older model Buick sedan with no front registration.
• 3/2: The Venice police department attempted a traffic stop of an older model Buick sedan and the vehicle fled, driving recklessly on Route 3. It struck a curb and was disabled. The defendant fled on foot and was apprehended after a short foot pursuit and found in possession of a 9mm handgun. The driver of the Buick was identified as Johnathan North. Defendant was released on this matter pending charges, as the relevance of the Buick was not then known.
• 3/18: A suspect matching the defendant's height and build entered the In and Out Liquor store wearing a mask and approached an employee demanding money while displaying a handgun. The employee provided currency from the register and the suspect fled. Surveillance showed him flee in an older model Buick sedan with no front registration. This time, the Buick was observed to have only three silver wheels, and appeared to then have a black temporary wheel.
• 3/23: Officers conducted a traffic stop of the older model Buick, with three silver wheels and a single temporary wheel. The driver of the Buick was identified as Johnathan North. The relevance of the Buick was then known. Officers conducted a search of the vehicle, finding a black mask, and black/blue shoes matching those worn by the suspect in the second robbery. Officers searched the defendant's residence and another vehicle owned by defendant, locating therein a .38 caliber revolver, consistent with that observed in the second robbery.

The Alton Police Department presented the case against North, who was reportedly remanded to jail to be held until his initial appearance in court.

The issuance of charges is based solely upon probable cause and is not an indication of guilt. All subjects charged with criminal offenses are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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