Knife-wielding man robs Lakeview McDonald’s; link to ongoing crime pattern eyed

Chicago police are looking for the man who robbed a Lakeview McDonald’s at knifepoint Saturday night — and he may be the same man who committed similar robberies at businesses in Lincoln Park, the Loop, and the West Loop.

The McDonald’s at 2834 North Ashland as seen on Google Street View. | Google

A CPD spokesperson said a man pulled a knife and demanded money from restaurant staff on the 2800 block of North Ashland around 10:50 p.m. last night. While the spokesperson did not identify the business by name, a police report said it was McDonald’s.

The offender collected about $100 and fled, the spokesperson said. No injuries were reported.

Cops searched for the suspect, initially described as a White male with gold hair who wore a red hoodie and a khaki jacket, but no arrests were made.

Around 6:10 p.m. Thursday, a man brandished a knife and threatened the clerk while demanding money from the register at Old Navy, 1730 West Fullerton. He was a White male in his mid-20s with wavy brown hair. He stood about 5’5″ tall, weighed about 130 pounds, carried a black backpack, and wore a black vest and black shirt.

In the Loop and West Loop crimes, a serial robber is described as a White male with brown or sandy blond hair. He’s in his mid- to late 20s, 5’6″ to 5’8″ tall, and 150 to 180 pounds. On Tuesday, he was wearing a red jacket with blue jeans when he robbed a coffee shop on the 900 block of West Randolph.

The same man is suspected of robbing four businesses in a couple of hours on March 7. CPD issued a community alert after that spree describing him as a White male between 18- and 25-years-old who stands 5’6″ to 5’8″ tall and weighs 150 to 180 pounds. It says he was wearing a dark-colored hat, dark coat, and blue jeans.

Police have not publicly linked the Lakeview and Lincoln Park crimes to the previously-announced pattern.

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