Boy, 14, robbed 6 people in Tuesday morning crime spree: Chicago police

Chicago police confirm that a 14-year-old boy is being charged with six counts of robbery in connection with a Tuesday morning robbery spree in Logan Square and nearby neighborhoods. We first told you about his arrest hours after cops took him into custody in the 1500 block of South Christiana.

The boy was part of a group that traveled around in a black SUV, stopping to rob people on the street, police said. Six people were robbed in four incidents, starting just before 10 a.m.

A 42-year-old woman was targeted in the first robbery outside PNC Bank, 2300 North Western Avenue.

Surveillance camera footage of the second robbery shows a 66-year-old man walking down the street when a black SUV stopped, backed up, and cut him off at an alley. Robbers jumped out of the vehicle, took his property, and drove away.

A 51-year-old man and a second man whose age was not released were robbed during the third holdup outside PNC Bank at 3820 West Belmont.

Finally, around 10:20 a.m., a 62-year-old man and a 70-year-old woman were robbed at gunpoint in the 200 block of North Maplewood.

Chicago police arrested the 14-year-old about an hour later in a neighborhood that has long been known to be an operating hub for armed robbery crews.

Hijacked cars and stolen vehicles used in robberies are frequently dumped in the area. The armed robbers who shot and nearly killed Dakotah Earley in May 2022 were based there.

In September 2022, CWBChicago published two stories about an attorney who decided to launch his own investigation after a woman he knew was robbed during a holdup spree in Lakeview. After combing social media accounts, electronic money transfers, and other evidence, he determined that the robbers also worked out of 16th and Drake.

While police have made arrests, including two people in the Earley case, the robbery crews continue to operate, seemingly able to quickly replace lost members with new blood.

Barely 12 hours after the boy was arrested on Tuesday, another robbery spree swept across Logan Square and Bucktown, claiming at least six more victims.

Recent robbery spree coverage