Police issued a community alert to warn North Side residents about a series of carjackings and robberies in West Rogers Park and Lincoln Square. CWBChicago has been telling you about some of the hijackings this week. Detectives usually issue community alerts when they think a person or group is responsible for several crimes.
The newly-identified crime pattern involves a gunman who targets people as they sit in or step out of parked cars. Police said the man walks up to victims, displays a handgun, and demands their keys, wallets, and phones. He also orders victims to unlock their phones and, in two instances, he forced victims to change their phone passwords, according to the alert. The man then drives away with the victim’s car.
According to the alert and CWB’s previous reporting, the pattern involves hijackings:
- in the 6200 block of North Whipple at 2:51 a.m. on July 10
- in the 3000 block of West Hood around 7:45 p.m. on July 19. The hijacker stepped out of a white Volkswagen, pushed a woman, and took her Lexus RX350.
- in the 5200 block of North Washtenaw at 10:30 p.m. on July 19, a carjacker displayed a handgun and took a man’s blue Hyundai Sonata on the 5200 block of North Washtenaw.
- at 10:45 p.m. on July 19, a man got out of a white Volkswagen and took a woman’s red Nissan Rogue at gunpoint on the 2500 block of West Fitch
- around 11:15 p.m. on July 20, two 19-year-old men were sitting inside a black Lexus RX350 on the 3000 block of West North Shore when a hijacker walked up and demanded their property and the car’s keys at gunpoint.
- at 10:30 p.m. on July 20, a man displayed a gun and demanded the victim’s money and phone on the 7000 block of North Rockwell.
Other carjackings and attempted hijackings have also been reported in the same areas around these times, but police did not publicly link those incidents to the crime pattern.
According to the CPD alert, the suspect is a Black male between 20- and 30-years-old who stands 5’6″ to 5’10” tall and weighs 140 to 180 pounds. He wears a gray hoodie, black-rimmed glasses, dark pants, and a black mask over his nose and mouth.
Anyone with information about the crimes can contact Area Three detectives at 312-744-8263. The alert number is P21-3-088.
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