Investigators say the man who robbed a Lakeview wireless store at gunpoint last week has held up at least two other phone retailers since Sept. 9. A second man may also be involved.
That’s all according to a business alert issued by Chicago Police Department detectives early Saturday.
The man seen in these images is striking around closing time, entering cellular stores and forcing employees into back rooms while displaying a machine pistol, according to the alert. He orders workers to open the store’s safe and empty its contents into plastic bags.
On at least two occasions, the offender fled out the back door.
The offender struck most recently in Lakeview when he targeted the Sprint store, 2850 North Broadway, at 7:53 p.m. on Oct. 16. One of the phones contained a tracking device similar to those used to follow bank robbers. The tracker pinged down Lake Shore Drive, past downtown, and was last recorded near 111th Street and Interstate 57.
On Sept. 25, the man robbed a Sprint store at 3924 South Archer in the Brighton Park neighborhood at 7:58 p.m. Police found a blue baseball cap, a dread-style wig, and a gray sweatshirt that the man wore during the robbery on a nearby side street.
The first robbery listed in the alert took place at the T-Mobile store, 1600 West 13th Street, in Little Italy at 7:50 p.m. on Sept. 9.
Police released two offender descriptions:
- Male, black, 20-30, 5’8” to 5’10”, 150 to 160 pounds, wearing a long dread wig, a baseball cap, glasses with no lenses, and a black hoodie. He carried a machine pistol that has an extended magazine.
- Male, black, 20-30, 5’5” to 5’8”, wearing a long dread wig, grey skull cap with red stripes, and a black coat. He carried a MAC-11 machine pistol.
Police in the alert encouraged businesses to install surveillance systems inside and outside their establishments and to install a hold-up alarm within reach of the cash register.
People with information about the robberies can share it with Area North Detectives at 312-744-8263 or Area Central Detectives 312-747-8380. Tipsters can also share information anonymously at CPDTIP.com.
