An armed robbery in Lakeview East early Wednesday may be part of an ongoing pattern that has claimed more than 20 victims in Lakeview and Old Town this month.
Around 1:15 a.m. Wednesday, three men stepped out of a dark blue sedan and robbed a man at gunpoint on the 400 block of West Oakdale, according to preliminary information from Chicago police. The offenders got away with the victim’s backpack, laptop, and phone.
The victim said the primary offender was a Black male wearing a blue hoodie who was armed with a handgun. He was reportedly accompanied by two other Black males and a getaway driver.
Another man was robbed around 2 a.m. Saturday at Belmont and Broadway, just a couple of blocks north of Wednesday’s hold-up.
In other recent cases:
- Three men battered and robbed a 46-year-old man as he was entering a residence on the 500 block of West Stratford around 9:45 p.m. on November 17, according to a CPD media statement. The trio fled in a red Mazda SUV with the victim’s phone, wallet, and backpack.
- About 20 minutes earlier, two men stepped out of a red Mazda SUV and robbed two women who were walking on the 800 block of West Wolfram, police said.
- At 11:15 p.m. on November 11, a gunman robbed a 24-year-old man who was walking in the first block of East Elm in the Gold Coast. The offender took the victim’s wallet and computer bag.
- Just five minutes later, a gunman confronted a 72-year-old man and a 67-year-old woman who were sitting in a car on the 200 block of West St. Paul in Old Town. The robber made both victims lie on the ground and then patted them down for valuables, according to police.
Six people were robbed across Lakeview and Buena Park on November 6, according to CPD records:
- Around midnight on the 700 block of West Buena, a gunman stepped out of a silver SUV that was driven by a woman and robbed a 23-year-old man of his wallet,.
- At 1:21 a.m., the offender robbed a 27-year-old man and a 28-year-old man who were walking on the 1000 block of West Diversey. He displayed a handgun and took the victims’ wallets and other items before returning to the silver SUV, Bartoli said.
- At 2:10 a.m., a 26-year-old man was robbed in a similar fashion as he walked on the 3400 block of North Clark in Wrigleyville.
- The gunman struck again at 2:49 a.m. in the 2900 block of North Broadway. Bartoli said a 27-year-old man was walking when the gunman got out of a silver SUV and took his wallet and phone.
- One minute later, the robber mugged a 21-year-old woman who was walking in the 3200 block of North Broadway, Bartoli said. As in the other hold-ups, he displayed a gun and took the victim’s valuables, then escaped in the SUV.
Police said the primary offender on November 6 was a Black male between 18- and 35-years-old who stands 5’6″ to 5’10” tall. He may have a tattoo on his right eyebrow. The woman who drove the getaway car was Hispanic, 20- to 35-years-old, with her hair in a ponytail.