Armed carjackers strike 4 times in 30 minutes across North Side

Armed men carjacked three drivers and tried to carjack a fourth during a 30-minute crime spree Sunday night across Lakeview, Roscoe Village, and Ravenswood, according to CPD reports. No arrests were made.

Three gunmen displayed handguns and forced a couple from their parked car on the 2100 block of West Melrose around 10:50 p.m., according to a CPD statement. The offenders took cell phones from the victims, a 28-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman, then drove away with their black 2011 Chevy Impala, police said.

Officers said the carjackers were three Black men wearing face masks and black clothing.

Approximate locations of Sunday’s carjackings. | Multiplottr

Police later found one of the victim’s stolen phones on the 4500 block of North Lincoln. According to a report, a homeless person had picked it up after the carjackers ditched it in the area.

At around the same time, two armed men forced a 38-year-old man out of his 2015 Volkswagen GTI as he dropped someone off on the 3400 block of North Janssen in Lakeview. The offenders got away with the car and other valuables. No suspect descriptions were released.

Around 11:05 p.m., a man reported that a masked man tapped on his car window and tried to hijack him near Winchester and Sunnyside in Ravenswood. He foiled the carjacking attempt by speeding away. The suspect is described as a thin Black male wearing a red hoodie who stands about 6-feet tall.

Then, at 11:17 p.m., two men displayed a handgun and carjacked a couple as they were exiting their gray Toyota Prius on the 4800 block of North Ravenswood, said Kellie Bartoli, a CPD spokesperson.

The victims, a 39-year-old man and a 45-year-old woman, were not injured.

Bartoli said the carjackers are described as Black males between 20- and 25-years-old who stand 5’8” to 5’9” tall and weigh 135 to 150 pounds. The Prius was last seen heading north.

Area Three detectives are investigating.

CPD recorded 164 carjackings citywide between September 1 and September 26, the most recent day for which data is available. There were 99 cases during the same time last year.

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