CHICAGO — At least two carloads of young men attacked, robbed, and carjacked a series of victims in Logan Square and Humboldt Park on Wednesday morning, according to Chicago police. The exact number of victims involved is not yet clear, but at least five robberies and carjackings were reported in the area within an hour.
Some victims reported that the robbers were armed with tools, including a screwdriver that police recovered at one of the scenes.
The crime spree began with a carjacking in the 2100 block of North Whipple just before 6 a.m., according to CPD. Between six and eight offenders stepped out of two vehicles and carjacked a 38-year-old man walking to his Ford Fusion, police said.
A few minutes later, three vehicles blocked an intersection in the 2600 block of West Altgeld and tried to rob a driver who lives nearby. The victim locked his car door, and the crew fled the scene.
Another man was carjacked in the 2700 block of North Mozart around 6:14 a.m., according to Chicago police. The 53-year-old was inside his blue Honda Pilot when two cars boxed him in, and six offenders got out. They opened his driver’s door, punched him in the face, robbed him, and ordered him out of the vehicle. He complied, and they drove away with his car.
At 6:30 a.m., about eight attackers pushed a 27-year-old man to the ground and beat him in the face on the 2600 block of West Cortland, a CPD spokesperson said. The crew took the victim’s property and escaped in two cars.
Around the same time, a 50-year-old man was attacked by between six and eight males who exited two cars in the 1800 block of North Talman. A police spokesperson said the offenders hit the man in the head with an object, took his valuables, and fled in the cars. The victim declined EMS services.
Police confirmed another robbery occurred at 6:45 a.m. in the 1400 block of North Washtenaw. A 33-year-old man was inside his car when two vehicles pulled up, and about four men got out. They opened his car door, beat him in the face, and took his property, according to CPD. One of the attackers dropped a screwdriver at the scene, according to a police report.
The police spokesperson said another man told 911 dispatchers that he was robbed in the 1200 block of North Washtenaw just before 7 a.m., but he decided to file his report in person later. His report was not finalized in the CPD system as of midday, the spokesperson said.
Chicago police officers recovered two stolen cars that were abandoned on roads in the area. They are working to determine if they were used in the crime spree.
So far this year, citywide robbery reports are up 15% compared to 2022, according to CPD’s latest statistical report. They’re up 30% compared to 2019. In the Shakespeare (14th) District, where today’s incidents occurred, robberies are flat compared to last year and up 37% compared to 2019.