Chicago — Armed men committed at least seven holdups during a Saturday morning robbery spree that stretched from Bucktown and Wicker Park to the Near West Side, according to Chicago police reports. No arrests have been made.
In each incident, three men displayed two guns and robbed victims who were outside. The group traveled in a gray 2022 Kia that was recently reported stolen in Cicero, a source said.
According to initial information gathered from reports and the source, the men:
- robbed a man who was warming up his car in the 1600 block of West North Avenue around 5:30 a.m. They took his watch, phone, and wallet.
- robbed two men who were clearing snow in the 1600 block of North Wolcott around 6 a.m. They took the victims’ wallets and phones, then forced the victims to provide their PINs.
- robbed another man in the 900 block of North Winchester around 6:25 a.m.
- robbed a woman of her wallet and gym bag in the 700 block of South Laflin around 7 a.m.
- robbed another woman in the 1900 block of North Wolcott at 7:08 a.m. They made her unlock her phone before they fled.
Subsequent to our initial report, Chicago police released a community alert about the crimes. Detectives linked two more robberies to the crew:
- in the 1200 block of North Paulina at 6:30 a.m.
- in the 800 block of South Bell at 8:23 am.
All of the offenders wore masks, and at least two of the victims said one of the masks had a purple or dark-colored design. The robbers are described as skinny Black males who stand 5’5″ to 5’11” tall. Some victims said they appeared to be in their teens, while others said they might be in their early 20s, according to reports.
CPD’s community alert described the crew as three or four Black males between 20 and 25 years old wearing dark clothing and ski masks.
Since the middle of November, there have been dozens of waves of similar robberies in the same area and nearby neighborhoods. But the crime sprees have become less frequent in recent weeks after Chicago police made several arrests.
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