A 26-year-old man was physically attacked and robbed while walking in Lincoln Park early Saturday. The crime is part of a sharp increase in robberies across the local police district, where there have been over 200 hold-ups so far this year.
Chicago police said a 26-year-old man was walking in the 2600 block of North Wayne when five robbers confronted him and demanded his property around 12:11 a.m. One of the offenders punched him in the face, and the victim complied with the group’s demands, according to a CPD spokesperson.
The crew fled south on Wayne with the victim’s phone, wallet, earbuds, and car keys.
Officers at the scene said the robbers were five Black males wearing ski masks and hoodies. One of the masks had a decal or design visible.
Police in the Lakeview-based Town Hall (19th) District handled 199 robberies this year through July 3, according to Chicago Police Department statistics. That’s up 73% from last year, 67% from 2020, 59% compared to 2019, and 25% versus 2018.
Town Hall officers patrol the area between Fullerton, Lawrence, Lake Michigan, and the Chicago River.
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