Police are warning about a robbery and carjacking pattern that has emerged in the Wicker Park, Bucktown, and Logan Square neighborhoods. Area Five detectives issued the community alert Monday afternoon, just hours after the latest incident was reported by CWBChicago.
At 7:54 a.m. Monday, a 28-year-old man told police that two offenders approached him and demanded his car keys in the 2200 block of West Wabansia, according to CPD spokesperson Kellie Bartoli. When the man refused to surrender his keys, the offenders punched him in the face, and one of them displayed a handgun, Bartoli said.
The victim yelled for help, and the two offenders fled westbound on Wabansia with his phone, but they failed to get his car.
Investigators have linked at least four other cases to the same pattern, which typically means police believe the same group of people is responsible for the crimes.
According to the alert, all of the crimes unfolded similarly to Monday’s, with two offenders approaching victims on the streets and demanding control of vehicles. The men succeeded in getting cars from two victims, but they only took personal valuables in the other three cases, police said.
The other four robberies were reported:
- in the 1600 block of North Campbell at 7:41 p.m. September 24
- in the 1800 block of West Cortland at 7:18 p.m. October 3
- in the 2700 block of West Belden at 11:28 a.m. October 4
- in the 2100 block of North Richmond at 11:50 a.m. October 4
Police issued descriptions of the suspects from most of the incidents. The offenders are reportedly two thin Black males in their mid-teens to early-20’s who stand 5’6” to 5’10” tall, according to the alert.
Anyone with information about the crimes can contact Area Five detectives at 312-746-7394 regarding pattern P20-5-060.
