A man has been charged in connection with the robbery in January of the Portage Liquor Store at 6643 U.S. Highway 20, the Porter County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said.

John Widdowson, 34, with no known address, has been charged with robbery, a Class B felony punishable by a term of six to 20 years.

The robbery occurred at 9:36 p.m. Jan. 18, when a man entered the store and demanded money. Although the “suspect kept his right hand clinched on the clothing near his waist band as if he was grasping a weapon,” Det. Nick Grynovich of the PPD stated in his probable cause affidavit, “he never mentioned he had a weapon nor was a weapon made visible” to the clerk.

The clerk complied with the order and began to empty the cash register of currency, which she placed on the counter and the suspect then stuffed in his pockets before fleeing the scene, Grynovich stated.

The suspect was described as a white male, between 25 and 35 years of age, 5’ 9’’in height and 150 pounds in weight, with brown eyes and brown hair, wearing a white shirt which he had pulled up over his face leaving only his eyes exposed.

Three days later, on Jan. 21, Grynovich stated, he was contacted by a detective with the Kankakee, Ill., Police Department, who advised that Widdowson had been arrested on unrelated charges on Jan. 20 and had admitted in custody to robbing the Portage Liquor Store.

“Widdowson admitted that after robbing the liquor store he went to a casino and lost the money he had gotten during the robbery,” Grynovich stated.

When taken into custody Widdowson had in his possession a handgun, a personal check made out to the Portage Liquor Store, and receipts from the store, Grynovich stated.

Ameristar Casino and Hotel in East Chicago subsequently confirmed that Widdowson—who has a player’s card there—spent $600 on the night of Jan. 18, the same day as the robbery, Grynovich stated.

Posted 7/14/2010