Crime: "They could've killed me"

Saturday October 21 2006

'They could've killed me' Wheaton shopkeeper, friend beaten, robbed

James Fuller Daily Herald Staff Writer

Two signs taped to windows of a downtown Wheaton shop Friday afternoon spoke to traumatic events that have put two Wheaton senior citizens in the hospital.

"Closed due to a robbery & beating," the signs read.

The victims, embattled shopkeeper Robert Sandberg, 68, and his friend Robert Cooke, 86, said it all started when a man at least 6 feet tall and 300 pounds entered Sandberg's Store for Men & Boys just before 8 p.m. Thursday.

The shop at 101 W. Front St. is known mostly for discounted apparel and eccentric ties. The man was interested in leather Chicago Bulls coats.

Sandberg showed the man his stock of coats and went to check a price. That's when the situation turned violent. It was either a large fist or a pipe that delivered the first blow.

"That's when - wham -and I must've passed out," Sandberg recalled from his hospital bed Friday.

The assailant, or possibly an accomplice, then turned his attentions to Cooke.

"I remember waking up and Bob was down on the floor with his head being bashed in," Sandberg said.

Cooke sustained injuries to the left side of his head and lost consciousness. Sandberg tried to escape out the back, and took more punches for his efforts.

"They could've killed me," he said. "I think that's what they were trying to do."

"They" refers to the presence of as many as three other men who were spotted loading leather coats in the back of an older-model, white Pontiac Grand Am or Grand Prix before driving away.
Both Sandberg and Cooke regained consciousness and went for help separately. Sandberg, with his bloody face and shirt, crawled over to an adjacent space he'd recently rented out. A worker was there painting.

"I said, 'John! John! They're beating the heck out of me,' " Sandberg said.

Police were dispatched to the shop at about 8:20 p.m. When they arrived, they found several leather coats missing valued at an estimated $9,000.

Both men were taken to Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, where they were still recovering from their injuries Friday afternoon.

Sandberg received at least five stitches and suffered cuts to his face, brow and one of his ears. He also has bruising on his jaw and nose. Cooke had bruising to the left side of his head. Both men expect to be released today.

Sandberg said he felt lucky to be alive but can't stop thinking about why someone picked his store to rob.

"Who do I have that don't like me?" Sandberg said. "I remember asking, 'Why are you doing this?' There were no answers to my questions, just a fist in my face."

Wheaton residents will recognize Sandberg's name for at least two reasons.

The first is that he's been in business for nearly 50 years. The second is his ongoing battle with city officials about his property.

Sandberg owns several storefronts downtown, all of which the city has been after him to fix up. Back in 1986, the city tried to force Sandberg to sell some of his property. Later, the city tried to take some of his buildings from him through eminent domain proceedings.

The legal battles have cost both sides thousands of dollars and appearances in courtrooms as high up as the Illinois Supreme Court.

Sandberg does not believe the city is behind the beating he received, but he does partially blame them for it happening.

"The city of Wheaton can spend (thousands of dollars) to take away my buildings, but they can't spend money for more police?" Sandberg said.

Police officials chose not to respond to Sandberg's comment, as they don't determine their own budget and staffing levels.

Wheaton police released partial descriptions of two of the suspects. The man who delivered the blows to Sandberg is described as being up to 6 feet, 1 inch tall, weighing 300 pounds and wearing a white T-shirt and gray pants. The second man, who possibly delivered the blows to Cooke, is described as about 6 feet, 1 inch tall and 180 pounds.

Sandberg's and Cooke's descriptions of the suspects differ somewhat, but both agree there were four total. Sandberg believes the robbery might be related to a shoplifting incident a couple weeks ago.

Anyone with information should call detective DeDe Magnier at (630) 260-2061.