An armed carjacking in Wicker Park early Sunday is at least the 19th hijacking since August 1 for that neighborhood and adjacent Bucktown, according to CPD records. The two neighborhoods had nine carjackings during that time last year — and only three for the period in 2019.
Around 12:40 Sunday morning, a black sedan cut off a driver’s path on the 1300 block of North Leavitt, and two men emerged with handguns, according to a preliminary CPD report. Both offenders pointed their weapons at the driver and ordered him to get out of his silver Camry. He complied.
The hijackers took his car while the vehicle they arrived in was driven away by an accomplice.
No suspect descriptions were available.
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. The woman was walking when one of the men walked up to her with a handgun pointed in her direction around 10:59 p.m. CPD spokesperson Kellie Bartoli said he announced a robbery, took her purse, then fled in her white 2017 Nissan Juke. The victim was not injured.
Two other armed robberies were reported in the area around the time of Monday’s carjacking.
Across the city, CPD recorded 98 carjackings this month as of October 16. That’s up from 81 during the period last year and 20 cases in 2019.
Year-to-date, the city saw 1,348 carjackings through October 16, up from 982 at the same point last year and 442 in 2019.
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