(l-r): Richard Johnson, Glen Williams, Jamal Preacely and Kendrick Martin are charged in three South Side robberies. (Credit: Chicago Police)

CHICAGO (CBS) — Four accused serial robbers were caught in Chicago this week when they blew through a red light.

As WBBM Newsradio’s Regine Schlesinger reports, police say officers spotted the gray Chevrolet go through the red light at 79th Street and Ellis Avenue around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday. When they pulled the car over, police say they saw a passenger toss a handgun into the back.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Regine Schlesinger reports

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Police say it turned out the car had been stolen in a carjacking. Officers found cash, cell phones, and identification taken from the victims of three robberies that night.

The robberies happened in the 1100 block of East 80th Street, the 7200 block of St. Lawrence Avenue and the 8000 block of South Rhodes Avenue.

The men charged were:

Richard Johnson, 28, of the 8600 block of South Elizabeth Street, charged with three counts of armed robbery with a firearm and several traffic violations, including disobeying a red light;

Glen Williams, 22, of the 7900 block of South St. Lawrence Avenue, charged with three counts of armed robbery with a firearm and one count of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon;

Jamal Preacely, 22, of the 1400 block of East 55th Place, charged with two counts of armed robbery with a firearm; and

Kendrick Martin, 24, of the 3600 block of West Franklin Boulevard, charged with one count of armed robbery with a firearm.

The four men appeared in bond court Wednesday. Johnson and Williams were each ordered held on $500,000 bond, Preacely was ordered held on $375,000 bond, and Martin was ordered held on $250,000 bond.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.