Chicago — A group of armed men committed at least nine armed robberies and carjackings on the city’s north and near west sides in just over an hour on Friday morning, according to Chicago police reports.
There may be a link between the crimes and a string of recent robberies in the same areas.
According to information gathered from a Chicago police alert, police reports, and a source:
- Three masked men in their late teens or early 20s tried to carjack a man at gunpoint in the 800 block of North Campbell around 7:30 a.m. The crew failed to get control of the victim’s Jeep, and they fled in a black SUV with a broken rear window that was covered with tape and a trash bag.
- Around 7:40 a.m., a group of masked men robbed a woman of her purse, backpack, and phone in the 800 block of North Rockwell.
- The group struck again in the 800 block of North Campbell around 7:45 a.m. This time, they opened the victim’s car door and ordered them out of a gray 2010 BMW, which they stole.
- A woman was getting into her car in the 6400 block of North Hoyne around 8 a.m. when a dark-colored SUV pulled up and blocked her path. Three offenders exited the vehicle, pointed guns at the woman, and robbed her.
- They robbed a woman at gunpoint and tried to steal a car in the 6500 block of North Damen at 8:11 a.m. But the vehicle crashed, and they fled in the black SUV they arrived in.
- Around 8:20 a.m., in the 6000 block of North Campbell, they tried to carjack a man at gunpoint. The hijacking failed, but they did get the victim’s wallet while pointing a pistol at his face.
- At about 8:15 a.m., they took wallets and a phone from two victims in the 6200 block of North Claremont.
Official police reports were still being finalized for two other cases:
- A woman walked into the Rogers Park (24th) District police station and reported that two men each displayed firearms and tried to carjack her near Leavitt and Arthur in West Rogers Park around 8:10 a.m.
- Around 8:30 a.m., a woman reported being robbed at gunpoint by two men who took her bag in the 1300 block of North Maplewood in Wicker Park. They escaped in the black Hyundai, according to preliminary information.
Investigators believe most, if not all, of the crimes involve a black Hyundai Tuscon with a taped-up rear window. It was reported stolen a couple of days ago from the 1000 block of North Monitor in the Austin neighborhood, according to CPD records.
Police said the robbers were Black males between 18- and 30-years-old who wore black clothing and black ski masks. One of the offenders wore a blue skull cap, a CPD alert said.
Tips about the crimes, which are linked under crime pattern #P22-3-085, can be shared with CPD detectives at 312-744-8263.
On Monday morning, three similar robberies were reported in Humboldt Park, Wicker Park, and Logan Square.
Last Saturday, a string of robberies and hijackings were reported from West Ridge to the Loop.
And on Thursday, November 17, a group of six to eight male and female offenders traveled in two cars to carry out a series of robberies and carjackings that stretched across the north and northwest sides.