Chicago police are investigating a series of armed robberies that began Wednesday evening at a fast-food restaurant and ended early Thursday at a Walgreens. No arrests have been made so far.
The first holdup was reported at Subway, 2579 North Elston, around 8:40 p.m. A man wearing a gray hoodie displayed a gun, robbed the store, and then headed south on Elston, a report said.
Just before 10 p.m., a gunman robbed the 7-Eleven at 2157 West Belmont in Lakeview. Police said he took money from the register and fled in an unknown direction.
Another 7-Eleven was robbed around 11:56 p.m. at 2366 North Damen. CPD said a man wearing all black clothing displayed a gun, took money from the register, and fled the scene.
Four people were robbed at gunpoint at JR’s Red Hots, 2345 West Armitage, around 12:10 a.m. Police said three men wearing all black clothing exited a white Hyundai Sonata with handguns and demanded property from three men and a woman. They pistol-whipped one of the men, then fled the scene.
The last incident occurred just a block west of the hot dog stand at Walgreens, 2001 North Milwaukee, around 3 a.m.
Three men wearing all black clothing exited a white Sonata with guns. Two headed inside to rob the store. The third stayed outside and robbed a delivery driver and a customer, police said.
The Walgreens and JR’s offenders were described as three Black males wearing masks and a White male. Their Hyundai had a trash bag covering one of the rear side windows, suggesting it had been stolen.
No serious injuries were reported in any of the crimes.
Update 1:53 p.m. — Chicago police released a community alert this afternoon that links three of last night’s robberies to one crew.
The holdups on Damen, Armitage, and Milwaukee were all committed by the same crew, the alert said. Those same robbers also tried to rob a man in the 2800 block of West Lyndale at 1:50 a.m., according to CPD records.
Police described the suspects as four Black males between 18 and 25 years old who stand 5’7″ to 5’8″ tall. They wore black hoodies, gray pants, and black ski masks. The alert also identified their getaway car as a Hyundai Sonata. CPD previously said the vehicle was a Kia.
Anyone with information about the crimes can contact Area Five detectives at 312-746-7394.
