In the ruse, a man in a wheelchair has approached people on the street and asked for change or cigarettes, police said. As the “citizens” responded, up to five other offenders have attacked and robbed the victims, according to a CPD alert.
The man in the wheelchair was held by cops in the South Loop after a robbery around 10 a.m. on July 3rd, according to a police source. He was released after officers on-scene became convinced that he was “only asking for change” and “didn’t have a role” in the robbery of a man who was beaten and mugged nearby.
According to a new alert from Chicago police, the fake wheelchair offender has struck in the following locations:
• 1200 block of South Wabash at 1:54 a.m. on June 30
• 700 block of South Michigan at 3:12 a.m. on July 3
• 900 block of South Michigan at 9 a.m. on July 3
The guy in the wheelchair is said to be 35- to 39-years old, and black, according to the police alert. Another involved in the scheme is a black man 20- to 25-years old who was last seen wearing a red shirt. “The three other offenders were just described as African American males,” according to the police alert.
