At least five carjackings have been reported around Wicker Park since Saturday afternoon, according to CPD reports, and three of the victims are rideshare drivers.
The hijackings come just three days after Chicago police warned about a pattern of Uber and Lyft drivers being carjacked in the area.
The latest spree began around 1:20 p.m. Saturday when a woman was carjacked at gunpoint in the 1200 block of North Milwaukee. Two men took the woman’s black 2016 Audi Q95 after getting out of another car, according to a CPD report. The other vehicle was itself taken in a carjacking early Saturday on the Far South Side.
Then, a Lyft driver who responded to a call for service was carjacked at gunpoint of his 2021 BMW X3 on the 1400 block of North Leavitt around 7 p.m. The offenders told the driver they were armed and ordered him out of the vehicle.
Around 9:15 p.m., a man was robbed at gunpoint by two men who took his wallet and his black 2017 Acura MDX on Winchester near Division Street, according to police.
At 10:35 p.m., an Uber driver was robbed at gunpoint of his 2016 Mercedes in the 2100 block of West Charleston in Bucktown. The victim told police he saw a black BMW following his car as it drove away.
Yet another Uber driver was carjacked around 3:45 a.m. in the 17000 block of West Lemoyne. The victim told police that two passengers got into the back of his Audi A6 and put a gun to his head. He also told police that a black BMW appeared to be involved.
Ride-share carjacking alert
Area Three detectives warned rideshare service drivers about a carjacking pattern around Wicker Park. At the time, CPD linked three cases:
- The first incident was reported shortly after midnight on December 28. A ride-hail driver told police two carjackers took his black Infiniti QX60 in the 1900 block of West Evergreen. The victim thought another car, possibly a black four-door sedan, was also involved in the crime, according to a CPD report.
- A couple of hours later, around 1:50 a.m., an Uber driver was robbed of his black Kia Optima in the 2000 block of West St. Paul. Once again, the driver said he thought the carjackers might have gotten out of a dark Honda or Toyota before getting into his car.
- Then, around 7 p.m. on January 9, a ride service driver was carjacked of his white Lexus RS350 in the 1400 block of North Maplewood. The offenders also got away with the man’s wallet and phone, which were in the vehicle.
According to the CPD alert, both carjackers are male, Black, and 18- to 30-years-old. One stands 5’4” to 5’6” and weighs 130 to 150 pounds. The other is about 5’7” to 6-feet tall and weighs 140 to 160 pounds, they said.
Anyone with information about the crimes can contact Area Three detectives at 312-746-7394 regarding pattern #P21-5-001.