The man robbed this Vitamin Shoppe in Lakeview around 11:20 Saturday morning, police said. | Google |
Cops are looking for an armed man who robbed small businesses in Lakeview and Old Town on Saturday morning.
Around 11:20 a.m., a man walked into The Vitamin Shoppe at 3325 North Ashland and demanded money while pressing a kitchen knife against a female worker’s skin, police said.
The man collected cash from the store’s register and safe before running away toward Roscoe Street.
Police said the suspect is black and has a beard. He’s in his mid-30’s, stands about 5’9” tall, and weighs approximately 180 pounds. He was last seen wearing a tan hat with a black coat while carrying a large black backpack.
Investigators believe the same man used a kitchen knife to rob the Best Price Cleaners at 1212 North Wells around 10:50 a.m. on Saturday.
The Best Price Cleaners at 1212 North Wells. | Google |
As in the Lakeview robbery, the offender displayed a knife and told a female worker that she was being robbed. He took money from the register and is believed to have fled southbound.
The suspect’s description resembles that of the Lakeview offender: a bearded black man between 40- and 50-years-old wearing a light brown skull cap and a black jacket. Both victims said the man was armed with a steak or cooking knife with a wooden handle.