Vincent Bradshaw and Matt Presser

When Sam McKinley, owner of Best Taxi Service, heard that an arrest was made in connection with a series of Norshore cab robberies, he was surprised he recognized the name. It was his son’s.

McKinley, a member of Evanston’s Taxicab Advisory Board, said he had no idea his son Allen McKinley, 30, had been arrested in connection with the crimes.

Allen McKinley was charged over the weekend with two counts of armed robbery, two counts of aggravated robbery and one count of attempted aggravated robbery after the latest incident was reported to police Friday. Police said there were a total of five robberies of Norshore drivers between April 9 and April 21, resulting in a combined loss of about $430.

Sam McKinley knew neither why his son committed the robberies nor why he targeted Norshore drivers.

Walter Wolff, Norshore’s president, said he was relieved to hear of the arrest.

“It was a crazy thing,” he said. “I worried about our drivers. Somebody could’ve gotten killed. That’s the biggest fear I have – somebody getting really, really hurt.”

Wolff said Sam McKinley is a “very good friend” and he was surprised to hear it was Sam McKinley’s son who was arrested in connection with the robberies. “That’s certainly not the way he was taught, I’m sure,” Wolff said. “Sam’s just not that kind of guy.”

Wolff said five Norshore cab drivers have been killed in the last 30 years – three in Chicago, two in Evanston – but there have been no deaths in the past 10 years. After the recent robberies, he advised his drivers to to be cautious.

“You kind of judge people,” Wolff said. “You certainly aren’t scared of a little old lady. It depends upon the person.”

Sam McKinley is one of six members on Evanston’s Taxicab Advisory Board and has been serving on the board since 1999, said Kevin Lookis, Evanston’s revenue manager.

Sam McKinley said he is “not close” to his only son and hasn’t spoken to him since the incident.

“His mom and I tried our best to try to get him straight, but when you’re 30 years old, what can you do?” he said. “I just hope my son can (get) some help.”

Reach Vincent Bradshaw at [email protected] and Matt Presser at [email protected].