Police are investigating a wave of armed robberies and carjackings reported across the North and Far North Sides since Thursday night. Some of the crimes appear to be linked.
Most recently, a 19-year-old woman was robbed at gunpoint while she sat in her car on the 1900 block of West Fargo in Rogers Park. Police said an armed man walked up to her car, pointed a gun at her, and demanded her money around 8:15 p.m. Friday.
The victim complied with his demands by handing over her purse. He then left the area. According to a CPD report, the primary offender is a Black male who stands about 5’10” tall, wearing a gray coat. He may have been accompanied by another Black male in his mid-20’s who wore a blue coat.
Three incidents, all possibly committed by one group of offenders, were reported in under 30 minutes Friday morning:
- Around 4:55 a.m., a group of armed men got out of a black SUV and carjacked a woman after she parked on the 1000 block of West Hollywood. The victim said she was still in her car when the three men all displayed guns, took control of her blue Chevy Malibu and drove away northbound on Sheridan. The SUV followed the hijacked car.
- Moments later, two men got out of a small dark-colored car and robbed a woman at gunpoint on the 5900 block of North Sheridan. The men got away with her backpack, which contained her Starbucks uniform and wallet.
- Then, just after 5 a.m., two men got out of a small dark-colored car and robbed a man of his wallet and phone in the 6500 block of North Newgard.
The victims all described the suspects as young Black males, possibly in their teens, who wore black clothing and masks.
Another carjacking was reported in Lincoln Square on Thursday evening.
In that case, a man reported that at least five offenders in two vehicles intentionally struck his tan 2003 Ford Explorer in the 4800 block of North Western around 9:25 p.m.
The group robbed the man and one of them punched him in the face while holding a knife before they drove away with his SUV and the vehicles they arrived in. He told police the group consisted of four Black males and one black female.
Earlier Thursday, police issued a community alert after a group of three men and a woman committed an armed carjacking on the Near North Side and an armed robbery in Lincoln Park.
A separate community alert from CPD warned Rogers Park residents about a pair of recent armed robberies involving knife-wielding men. Those offenders stabbed one elderly victim, police said.
Area Three detectives are investigating all of the crimes.