On December 22, 2016, at approximately 5:35AM, Lake County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to an armed robbery at the Citgo Gas Station located at 38512 North Sheridan Road, Beach Park. The offender approached the store clerk with a knife and removed an undisclosed amount of cash from the cash register. The offender then fled the scene in a white Cadillac Eldorado bearing an Illinois Registration.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office issued an alert to all area police departments providing a description and license plate of the vehicle as well as a description of the offender. At approximately 10:30AM, Zion Police Officers spotted the vehicle used in the armed robbery. Zion Police attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle, but it fled. The driver of the Cadillac crashed into a snowbank and both the driver and passenger were apprehended by Lake County Sheriff’s Detectives, Warrants Deputies, and Zion Police Officers.
A knife was recovered from the Cadillac which appears to be the same knife used in the armed robbery.
The passenger of the Cadillac was identified as Ronald Edmiston, 48, of the 38300 block of North Wilson Road, Beach Park. Sheriff’s detectives determined Edmiston was responsible for the earlier Citgo Gas Station armed robbery. Edmiston was transported to a hospital due to a preexisting medical condition. Upon his release from the hospital he will be transported to the Lake County Jail and charged with Armed Robbery (Class X Felony) and Burglary (Class 2 Felony). He will then appear in Lake County Court for a bond hearing.
The driver of the Cadillac was identified as Teresa Copeland, 50, of the 11400 block of Edgewood Lane, Beach Park. She was subsequently charged by Zion Police with offenses related to the vehicle pursuit. She is currently being held in the Lake County Jail on $75,000.00 bail. Her next court date is December 30, 2016, at 9:00AM, in courtroom C-120.
Lake County Sheriff’s Detectives are working with Waukegan Police Detectives and Wisconsin authorities, to determine if Edmiston committed robberies in their jurisdictions as well.
Sheriff Curran reminds the public the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.