A bicyclist is among four people who were attacked or robbed in under an hour Monday night in the Streeterville neighborhood, police said. A fourth person was robbed overnight near the local Chicago police station.
In Streeterville, a 23-year-old man was riding his bike eastbound on Illinois Street when a group of at least four men and “multiple” females began yelling at him in Spanish around 10:20 p.m., a CPD spokesperson said.
One of the men punched him in the face, causing him to fall on the 500 block of North Columbus. One of the women then pepper-sprayed him, and the group fled. Police said none of the man’s belongings were taken.
EMS transported him to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in fair condition.
Then, around 11 p.m., a car pulled up on the 300 block of East Lower North Water Street, where a 36-year-old man and 32-year-old woman were standing. Three men stepped out of the car, displayed a gun, and ordered the victims to hand over their property, a CPD spokesperson said.
The victims described two robbers as Black males in their teens or 20s wearing ski masks who stood about 5’8″ tall. One of them wore a white shirt or sweatshirt that may have gold sleeves.
About 15 minutes later, a 53-year-old woman was robbed on the 200 block of East Illinois.
She was walking toward her hotel when a gray car pulled up and three men stepped out. Two of them had handguns, according to police.
The group took her bag, returned to the car, and headed east on Illinois Street.
Another woman was robbed on the Near North Side around 1:53 a.m.
She told police she was standing next to her car on the 400 block of West Elm when a man walked up, punched her in the face, and took her purse, the police spokesperson said. He escaped in a white sedan, which may be a Nissan.
The woman got into her car and drove a couple of blocks to the 18th (Near North) Police District station to file a report.
Robbery reports in the 18th District are up 50% compared to last year and 2% compared to 2020. They are down, though, compared to 2019 and 2018.