By Diana XinThe Daily Northwestern

A Skokie man was arrested and charged in connection with an armed robbery at the Chicken Shack early Sunday morning, police said.

Charles Johnson, 38, entered the Chicken Shack, 1925 Ridge Ave., at about 1 a.m. with a semi-automatic pistol and grabbed one of the employees, said Deputy Chief Joseph Bellino of the Evanston Police Department.

The three people present at the restaurant at the time of the robbery – a restaurant manager, employee and patron – were not seriously injured, Bellino said.

Restaurant manager Gerardo Campos said employee Michael Robinson was locking the door when the incident occurred.

Campos said a man wearing a red ski cap grabbed Robinson and held a gun to his head.

The assailant then made the two employees lie face down in the kitchen, Campos said.

When a third man, a regular patron who was helping Campos mop the back hallway, came out, the assailant made him lie face down as well.

Campos said that about $600 was taken from the front register, and the man demanded to know where more money was kept.

Police arrived after they were alerted by a silent alarm, Campos said. The alarm was set to go off whenever the door was opened after 1 a.m.

Police directed the employees and the patron out of the building before making an arrest, Bellino said.

Johnson is scheduled to appear at Circuit Court in Skokie on Oct. 18, Bellino said.

Reach Diana Xin at [email protected].