CHICAGO — Armed robbers mugged four people, pistol-whipping two of them, during a 30-minute crime spree overnight, according to Chicago police reports. Robberies were reported in Logan Square, Humboldt Park, and Hermosa.
Each crime involved four or five masked men, each armed with a handgun, who jumped out of a white vehicle to rob victims on the street.
Around 2:15 a.m., they robbed a man in the 1900 block of North Kedvale.
They struck again about 20 minutes later, near Rockwell and Potomac in Humboldt Park. One of the robbers hit the victim in the face with a gun. They took his wallet and fled.
Finally, around 2:50 a.m., a woman and her boyfriend were robbed in the 1800 block of North Richmond. Once again, one of the robbers pistol-whipped the male victim before the group fled with the couple’s valuables.
The robbers were described as skinny Black males wearing dark clothing and facemasks. They all wore black clothing except for the getaway driver. He wore a gray sweater or hoodie and was identified as the robber who pistol-whipped the victim on Richmond, an officer said.
The crimes occurred in areas that have been particularly hard hit by nearly identical robbery sprees since early this year. While robberies are up 25% citywide, but the three police districts targeted last night are faring much worse.
In the Shakespeare (14th) District, which includes Wicker Park, Bucktown, and much of Logan Square, robberies are up 57% this year. They’re up 126% compared to 2019.
The Grand Central (25th) District, which patrols the west end of Logan Square to the western city limits, has seen a 132% increase in robberies this year. Robberies there are up 122% compared to 2019.
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