CHICAGO — A suspect is in custody after a Lincoln Park man was carjacked Tuesday evening, Chicago police say. But armed robbery crews continue to plague West Town neighborhoods, where 11 people were robbed in about 45 minutes on Tuesday evening.
In Lincoln Park, police said a gunman confronted a 31-year-old man as the victim stepped out of a black 2021 Audi in the 2200 block of North Seminary around 6:52 p.m. Tuesday.
The robber took the victim’s property and drove away with the Audi.
But he picked a bad night to go carjacking because a law enforcement task force comprised of a high-tech federal helicopter, an Illinois State Police airplane, and a dedicated team of ground units was operating in the city.
The task force located and tracked the Audi and arrested its driver near 47th Street and Martin Luther King Drive. Charges were pending.
“Major assist on this one from IL State Police, who used their pursuit capability to follow these fleeing, violent armed robbers down the Dan Ryan,” Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) tweeted Tuesday night.
Within minutes of the Lincoln Park carjacking, another robbery spree unfolded in West Town, where robbery reports are up 43% from last year and up 107% versus 2019, according to the city’s data.
The crimes began just before 7 p.m. when a masked gunman robbed a woman of her purse in the 800 block of North Hoyne. A similar holdup quickly followed that in the 900 block of North Winchester.
Another woman was robbed shortly after 7 p.m. near Elizabeth and Fry.
A 25-year-old man was robbed as he stood outside his car at a carwash in the 2300 block of West Grand at 7:12 p.m., according to police.
CPD reports show that two armed men jumped out of a black SUV and robbed a woman at Huron and Campbell at about 7:15 p.m.
Similar crimes occurred in the 1400 block of West Division, the 800 block of North Fairfield, and the 1500 block of West Erie.
Four armed men put guns to a man’s head near Wabansia and Rockwell during a robbery. Again, they arrived and departed in a dark-colored SUV.
More robberies were reported in the 1500 block of West Erie, the 600 block of North Rockwell, and the 1300 block of West Erie.
By 7:35, it was over. Eleven robberies. About one every four minutes.
No arrests have been announced in connection with the spree.
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