A wave of three robberies at gunpoint and one strong arm robbery swept through Wrigleyville and the Southport corridor overnight. In one case, a witness who saw another man being robbed was subsequently victimized by two offenders who splintered off to rob him, too.
3 robberies with handguns, one robbery/beating, and one arrest location are plotted on this map. Image; Google. |
The trouble began around 1:30 this morning when at least two victims were beaten and robbed near Hawthorne Academy, 3319 N. Clifton, at 1:35AM. Four black male offenders beat and robbed at least two victims, then escaped southbound with two iPhones.
Officers transported one of the victims to Thorek Hospital for treatment.
One of the suspects wore a red hoodie, the other may have worn a white baseball hat backwards.
Case number HW451101.
3 Gunpoint Robberies
• The first gunpoint victim was robbed by six offenders on Roscoe just east of Southport around 3:35 this morning. The robbers took his wallet and cell phone. Four of the offenders apparently fled eastbound on Roscoe while two offenders broke off and robbed a witness who was standing across the street. Both suspects were described as black men. One had dreadlocks and wore a light colored shirt and light colored pants, possibly khakis. CPD case #HW451203
• The second gunpoint victim saw the first victim being robbed. Two offenders from the first attack crossed Roscoe Street and robbed this man at gunpoint, too. CPD case #HW451204
Within minutes, two suspects were stopped by officers in the 1200 block of Melrose: one wearing a red t-shirt, the other wearing a white and blue-striped sweat jacket. These men were positively identified by at least one victim as being participants in at least one of the first two robberies. They are in custody this morning. It is unclear if a third suspect was also taken into custody.
Officers also stopped and interviewed two men with out-of-state IDs near Lakewood and School around 4:25AM. It is not known if these two men were detained.
• The third gunpoint robbery in this area of Lake View occurred within minutes of the other two. A woman was robbed at gunpoint in the 3300 block of North Seminary by two males, both black and in their early 20’s who were armed with a black gun. Case #HW451193.
It is not clear if the third gunpoint robbery has been definitively connected to the first two. No one is known to have been detained in this case.
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