14-year-old detained after another robbery spree hits Logan Square

*Armed robbers in a black SUV approach a man in the 2300 block of North Maplewood on October 24, 2023. | Provided*

CHICAGO — A 14-year-old is believed to be in custody after another armed robbery spree rolled across Logan Square and West Town on Tuesday morning. If the arrest pans out, it will be a piece of welcomed good news for one of the most robbery-plagued neighborhoods in Chicago.

Surveillance cameras recorded at least one of the robberies, which claimed five victims, beginning shortly before 10 a.m. outside PNC Bank, 2300 North Western.

Two armed men exited a black SUV to rob a woman of cash and her purse, according to a Chicago police report. She was a customer of the bank, one of the latest to be targeted outside of banks and ATMs in the area.

A few minutes later, three men in a dark SUV cut off a 66-year-old man as he walked in the 2300 block of North Maplewood. They emerged from the vehicle with guns, took his property, and then sped away.

The holdup was caught on video. Watch:

Another robbery occurred outside a different PNC bank around 10 a.m. This one happened at the 3820 West Belmont location. Two masked, armed men in a black SUV put a gun to a man’s head and took his cash.

About 20 minutes later, a man was robbed outside his workplace in the 200 block of North Maplewood in West Town. Again, armed men traveling in a black SUV were responsible.

A source familiar with the situation said Chicago police officers detained a 14-year-old boy in connection with the robbery on Maplewood shortly before noon near Douglas and Christina. That’s not far from the 1500 and 1600 blocks of South Drake, long considered ground zero for the city’s many prolific robbery crews.

Officially, however, a Chicago police spokesperson could not confirm that anyone was in custody for the crime.

Robbery reports are up 25% from last year in Chicago. They’re up 36% compared to 2019.

The real story, though, is what’s happening in the areas where last night’s sprees occurred.

Robberies are up 58% this year in CPD’s Shakespeare (14th) District and up 114% versus 2019, according to the police department’s latest statistics report. Based in Logan Square, Shakespeare’s officers serve nearby neighborhoods like Bucktown, Wicker Park, and part of Humboldt Park.

Next door, in the Near West (12th) District, which includes areas from Humboldt Park to the West Loop, robberies have increased by 63% this year. They’re up 95% compared to 2019.

Just west of the 12th District, the Grand Central (25th) District is even worse, with robberies up 129% from 2022 and 111% compared to 2019.

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