A Bellwood man is being held in lieu of $1 million bail on charges he shot a woman and her mother in a robbery outside the Bellwood Public Library last week, police said Tuesday.
The theft of $1,500 from a single mother drew the attention of local residents, who have donated about $5,000 to cover the amount and to help pay hospital bills, police said.
Wydrick Phillips, 23, of the 600 block of 23rd Avenue, who has a history of drug and weapons convictions, is accused of holding up and shooting Ruby Graham, 34, and her mother, Elizabeth Graham, 51. The daughter had just cashed a check and was carrying the money with her when she and her mother went to the library to copy documents, relatives said.
Jiminez Allen, commander of the Bellwood police detective unit, said police received anonymous tips last week, including one that said the shooter could be found in a home in the 500 block of 23rd Avenue in Bellwood. Police arrested Phillips early Friday without incident, Allen said, and he later was identified as the attacker from photos and in a lineup.
Phillips has been charged with attempted murder, armed robbery, aggravated battery, vehicular invasion, aggravated discharge of a weapon and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, according to police and a clerk in the Maywood branch of Cook County court, where he faced a judge Monday.
Phillips was convicted in 2000 of drug possession and was sentenced to 2 years’ probation and time served–114 days–in the Cook County Jail, according to court records. In 2002 he was convicted of retail theft and sentenced to 20 days in jail, and in 2003 he was convicted of unlawful use of a weapon by a convicted felon and sentenced to 30 months in prison, according to court records. Phillips was released from prison April 9, the records show.
A relative of the Grahams said last week that Ruby Graham had just collected the money at a nearby check-cashing outlet when she parked in the library’s parking lot at 600 Bohland Ave. around 7 p.m.
Phillips, who had apparently followed Ruby Graham, tried to grab her purse and knocked her to the ground in a struggle, police have said. Elizabeth Graham got out of the car to help her daughter, police said, and Phillips shot her in the chest and Ruby Graham on the side of her head.
Ruby Graham’s 1-year-old niece and 5-year-old nephew were in the back seat of the car during the robbery but were unharmed, police said.
Ruby Graham was treated for a graze wound and Elizabeth Graham was admitted to Loyola University Medical Center, Bellwood police said last week.
Bellwood Mayor Frank Pasquale said he visited Elizabeth Graham the day after the incident. “She was as lively as can be, and we expect her to return home tomorrow,” he said.
Pasquale said doctors have credited quick action by Bellwood Fire Department paramedics with saving her life.
He said people who didn’t want to be identified began calling his office the day after the incident to offer financial support to the Graham family.
“I am extremely proud of our Bellwood residents and others,” Pasquale said.
