West Town, Chicago’s second-worst community area for carjackings this year, is the focus of another warning from Chicago police.
In the latest alert, detectives link three recent armed robberies to a group of armed men who are working together. CWBChicago has learned that one of the victims was carjacked, and the offenders tried to carjack one of the others.
The first incident listed in the community alert is an attempted carjacking on the 1000 block of North Hermitage that unfolded at 11:25 a.m. on Saturday, October 16. According to a CPD report, two men displayed a gun and tried to take a victim’s car — but, for some reason, the hijacking failed. The offenders fled in a Kia sedan that had itself been carjacked elsewhere.
Then, around 11 p.m. on Monday, October 18, a 24-year-old woman was robbed and carjacked by three men who confronted her on the 1500 block of West Chestnut after they stepped out of a dark-colored sedan around 10:59 p.m. The woman was walking when one of the men walked up to her with a handgun pointed in her direction. Bartoli said he announced a robbery, took her purse, then fled in her white 2017 Nissan Juke. The victim was not injured.
According to police, the crew struck again at 2 a.m. Wednesday, October 20, on the 1000 block of North Marshfield. Three masked offenders took a man’s wallet and phone at gunpoint in that case.
Police said the suspects are three Black males of unknown ages. Most of the victims described them as young and wearing masks, according to reports reviewed by CWBChicago.
Anyone with information about the crimes can contact investigators about crime pattern #P21-3-117 at 312-744-8263.
West Town, which includes neighborhoods like Bucktown, Wicker Park, Noble Square, Ukrainian Village, and the Fulton River District, ranks #2 among the city’s 77 community areas for carjackings this year.
Police recorded 92 carjackings in West Town through October 16, according to CPD records. Austin, with 108 cases, ranks #1. Next in line are North Lawndale (86), the Near West Side (62), and West Garfield Park (52).
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