A gas station clerk and her boyfriend have been charged after attempting to stage a robbery and leading police on a full-day investigation and search for a missing person.
Investigators say Simone Boyd, 21, of Lombard and Brandon Morris, 21, of Melrose Park stole money from a Shell gas station in Elmhurst and then tried to make it appear as it if it was a holdup.
Officers were initially called to the 24-hour gas station and convenience store at 654 W. North Ave. around 5 a.m. Tuesday after customers reported there was no one on duty to ring them up. Upon arrival, Boyd – who was scheduled to be working her shift at the time – was nowhere to be found and the station was left unattended.
For hours investigators closed off the station while they dusted for finger prints and searched for evidence that could lead to Boyd's whereabouts.
Upon reviewing surveillance footage, police saw Morris jump over the counter and steal money from the cash register. Both Morris and Boyd were then caught on tape leaving the store together, according to police, leading officers to launch a search for a potential abduction.
The couple was later found in Cook County, police say, and the stolen cash was recovered.
Morris and Boyd have each been charged with one count of felony theft and are being held in DuPage County Jail pending a bond hearing.
