A group of armed robbers went on a hold-up spree Saturday morning, leaving at least seven victims their wake from Lincoln Park to Wicker Park to West Town. They remain at large.
All of the robberies were similar: two or three young males wearing masks and hoods emerged from a black SUV to rob people on the street. Most of the victims reported that two of the offenders displayed handguns.
The first hold-up occurred on the 1700 block of West Wrightwood in Lincoln Park around 6:20 a.m. There, a 49-year-old woman was carrying groceries on the sidewalk when two masked men stepped out of a black Jeep Renegade that was parked on the street. They confronted her with handguns and took her valuables, according to a CPD spokesperson.
At least two accomplices remained in the vehicle as the robbery unfolded.
Officers who responded to the call said the crew consisted of four thin Black males between 15- and 20-years-old. One wore a red Adidas jacket with white stripes and another wore all black clothing.
The group struck again in Wicker Park around 6:43 a.m. as a 28-year-old woman was entering a vehicle on the 1500 block of North Artesian. A black SUV pulled up next to her and two males got out with guns. They took her luggage, keys, and her purse, then headed toward North Avenue in the SUV.
Another woman was robbed around 7:20 a.m. near the corner of Wolcott and Superior in West Town.
A few minutes later, the group robbed a victim of headphones, a phone, cash, and credit cards on the 2200 block of West Fulton.
They also robbed a 52-year-old man as he rode his bike on the 600 block of North Wood around 7:30 a.m. An SUV pulled up behind him and four robbers got out, knocked him to the ground, and robbed him at gunpoint, according to a police report. But the crew did leave something behind — a backpack that belonged to one of the earlier victims.
Also around this time, a woman and her husband were mugged by four young robbers who displayed two guns on the 400 block of North Paulina.
Robberies across Chicago are up 20% compared to this time last year, according to CPD’s latest statistics report. The crime category is also up 10% compared to 2020 and 2019, although robberies are down 16% compared to 2018, the report said.