A group of attackers who appeared to be teenagers beat and robbed a woman just a few steps from Lakeview Ald. Tom Tunney’s office on Wednesday evening. Moments earlier, the same group assaulted and tried to rob two other women on a Red Line train at the nearby Belmont station, according to CPD reports.
On the CTA, five offenders approached a 31-year-old woman as they rode a Red Line train toward Belmont around 7:19 p.m. The group tried to take the woman’s property, but she fought back, and a physical altercation began, a CPD spokesperson said. They then attempted to rob a 35-year-old woman who intervened in the first robbery attempt.
Both women managed to maintain control of their property and the offenders fled through the Belmont station. Then, they set their sights on the third woman, a 22-year-old who was walking near Belmont and Sheffield.
About eight offenders reportedly knocked her to the ground, beat her, kicked her in the face, and stole her phone at 3221 North Sheffield — that’s the address directly south of Ald. Tunney’s ward office. Then they all ran northbound on Sheffield Avenue, witnesses said.
The group consisted of Black males in their early- to mid-teens. One of the primary attackers wore an orange winter cap with black clothing.
Tunney’s office was scheduled to be closed Wednesday due to holiday hours, according to his latest newsletter. Neither Tunney nor his staff has issued any statements about what happened, nor have they commented about two robberies in Boystown that resulted in two victims being shot late Tuesday and early Wednesday.
In his December 23 email newsletter, Tunney said the local police district “has analyzed the recent crime patterns and has begun redeploying patrol units to different sections of the district at times where robberies are most likely to occur. Bike patrol units on residential side streets will mainly be deployed at night. Additionally, our Police Commander has also requested more helicopter coverage for our police district ….”
No arrests have been made in any of this week’s robberies and shootings.
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