Did the Hair-Salon Bandit Scout Out a La Grange Target?

UPDATED, Feb. 7, 5:25 p.m.: After reviewing video taken of the suspicious person reported at Salon Hype, La Grange Police Department investigators say that "there is nothing to indicate" that the person was Jason Logsdon, but have not ruled out the possibility.

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Three days before his arrest Monday in Elmhurst, Jason Logsdon, 41, the Evanston man accused of committing as many as 15 robberies in the Chicagoland area, almost exclusively of hair salons, may have been scouting a potential target in La Grange.

According to La Grange Police Department reports, a suspicious person matching Logsdon's description was reported in La Grange's Salon Hype at 4:29 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 1. The person was reportedly asking questions about the salon's hours of operation and how many stylists would be on hand.

La Grange police later obtained security-camera footage from the salon for review.

Although at the time the salon robberies had taken place only on the north and northwest sides of Chicago, the Western Springs Police Department had previously issued a cautionary alert about the robberies.

None of the robberies of which Logsdon is accused occurred as far south as La Grange, but they do range from Skokie all the way southwest to Glen Ellyn.

Charged on Monday

The Cook County State's Attorney's Office approved 11 counts of armed robbery charges, all Class X felonies, against Logsdon on Wednesday.

Logsdon is believed to be responsible for a total of 15 robberies, but the remaining four occurred in DuPage County, where officials still are continuing their investigation, police said.

Logsdon appeared in court Wednesday morning but was taken away by ambulance to a nearby hospital. It is unclear why he was taken to the hospital.

He Was Stopped in Elmhurst

Logsdon was driving the vehicle used during the robberies when he was pulled over Monday in Elmhurst, Skokie police Cmdr. Brian Baker said at a Wednesday press conference.

“At 6:18 p.m. on Feb. 4, just over 7 hours after [the Wicker Park robbery], Logsdon was located in the 200 block of West Lake Street in Elmhurst and was arrested at that time,” Baker said. “During the 41 days that this pattern has occurred, 15 armed robberies were committed in eight jurisdictions in two counties.”

A stylist at the Wicker Park Great Clips was able to get Logsdon’s plate number, as well as a description of his vehicle, on Feb. 4. That information was provided to numerous police agencies in the Chicago area.

“When the witness provided the license plate number, one [number] was off,” said Chicago Police Chief of Investigations Tom Byrne. “A police officer sat in his car and ran different variations until one popped up (that matched the) vehicle."

With that information, Skokie police ran the plate number and found that Logsdon recently had been stopped for two minor traffic violations in Skokie.

When Logsdon was brought into the Skokie Police Station Monday, police ran numerous lineups with different victims who identified him as the robber, Baker said.

“A great response by the Chicago police department and great response by the victim who got a license plate number led Skokie police investigators [to a vehicle] that had been stopped for minor traffic violations,” Baker said. “That person had similar characteristics as the robber.”

All in all, Cook County saw 11 hair salon robberies: one in Broadview, five in Chicago, two in Niles, two in Skokie and one in Morton Grove. Logsdon also is believed to have robbed a tobacco store, Baker added.

Logsdon also is suspected in robberies of hair salons in Bensenville, Lombard and Glen Ellyn, police said.

The vehicle that Logsdon was using for the robberies did not belong to him, and the owner of that vehicle was “unaware that the vehicle was being used” in the robberies, Baker said.

Police officials said the robber’s motivation was money, but would not reveal if the suspect had a drug problem, when asked by reporters.

“That information will be revealed in court,” Baker said.

Logsdon’s court date has yet to be determined.

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