Police this weekend reported summer-like levels of street crime in Boystown, Wrigleyville, and nearby neighborhoods. Several robberies and at least two severe beatings on the street were reported. And at least three women had their purses or phones snatched, including two on Friday afternoon.
Here’s a run-down of what was reported along with links to more detailed stories:
Friday
4:27 a.m. — Man robbed of his wallet at Belmont and Sheffield. A police report is filed over the phone.
1:50 p.m. — Woman robbed of her purse in the 800 block of West Aldine by a man who jumped out of a brown or gold van, two witnesses said. Full story here.
2:50 p.m. — A Lakeview mom who was walking to pick up her kids from Hamilton School was jumped from behind by a man who grabbed her phone. Police believe the incident is related to the earlier case on Aldine. Full story here.
11:07 p.m. — A delivery driver is pushed and robbed in the 1600 block of West Irving Park Road. The woman said a white man in his late-20’s to early-30’s assaulted her and demanded all of her money. She handed over about $90 and the offender fled on foot. He was wearing a white tee shirt, had a medium build, and may have had a mustache, the woman said.
Saturday
1:13 a.m. — Witnesses report seeing four men attack and beat a fourth man on the street near Oakdale and Sheffield. Arriving officers said the victim was lying unresponsive outside of a laundromat. Police later determined that the man still had his phone and wallet, so robbery was not the apparent motive, authorities said. The attackers were described as four skinny black men of average height, one of whom wore a red sweater. They were last seen heading eastbound on Oakdale.
4:05 a.m. — A witness reports seeing a man get beat up and robbed at the intersection of Halsted and Roscoe in Boystown. Arriving officers report that the victim is “highly intoxicated and aggressive.” No report was filed.
5:10 a.m. — An armed robber takes $2,000 from a late night taco stand in nearby Lincoln Park. Full story here.
8:55 p.m. — A woman is purse-snatched by a man and a woman in the 900 block of West Fletcher.
9:15 p.m. — The same offenders who struck on Fletcher rob a man as he stands outside of a Halloween party in the 1300 block of West Newport. Full story here.
Sunday
2:25 a.m. — Police report that “a lot” of people are reporting phone thefts on the Wrigleyville bar strip. At least four were taken by a white male who was wearing a white tee shirt and a black vest. He stands about 5’9” tall, has black hair, and was last seen heading west on Addison in a black Lexus.
2:54 a.m. — A “young male” is found severely beaten in the 3500 block of North Wilton. Again, the motive is not known.
7:40 p.m — A Lakeview man is attacked by four or five robbers in the 600 block of West Grace. The crew gets away with the victim’s phone and is last seen running northbound on Pine Grove. In a slice of good news, the victim reported that he “got one of them pretty good” with pepper-spray. All four muggers were described as black men in dark hoodies, one of which had white writing on the front.
