CHICAGO — An off-duty FBI agent was among seven victims robbed during a string of holdups stretching from Noble Square to Humboldt Park on Monday evening. The area withered under nearly two years of relentless robber sprees until earlier this year. There are recent indications that the crews may be reconstituting.
Monday’s robberies began around 6 p.m. on the corner of Ashland and Wabansia in Bucktown. Two masked men, one wearing black and another wearing a gray ski mask, jumped out of a sedan to rob a man at gunpoint, according to preliminary info. They took his laptop, wallet, and phone before returning to the car and heading south on Ashland.
A similar robbery occurred just a few minutes later in the 1000 block of North Wood in West Town. Two men exited a sedan to rob a man of cash and credit cards. A third man acted as the getaway driver, the victim said.
Around 7:30 p.m., a man was confronted by several masked teenage males who took his phone in the alley behind the 3300 block of West North Avenue. The crew fled in a sedan. The victim told police the robbers were armed with a knife.
Next, around 8:23 p.m., an off-duty FBI agent and another man were walking in the alley in the 3200 block of West Armitage when a black sedan pulled up. Four or five males got out of the car and demanded property from the men, ages 34 and 35. Police said the robbers struck both victims in the face and fled south in the sedan without getting any property. Both victims declined medical attention.
Then, around 8:30 p.m., a 42-year-old man was walking in the 2600 block of West Iowa when four robbers jumped out of a black sedan, police said. Armed with a single firearm, the group pistol-whipped the victim, took his property, and fled. CPD said the man was taken to Humboldt Park Hospital for treatment of lacerations on his head.
Most recently, a 67-year-old man was robbed while walking his dog in the 1300 block of West Chestnut around 9:18 p.m., according to CPD. Three males exited a dark sedan, one armed with a gun. They took property from the man and escaped in the car.
It’s unclear if a single group or multiple crews carried out the robberies. All of the holdups were committed by Black males in their mid-teens to early 20s wearing masks, according to descriptions provided by the victims.
Victims provided different descriptions of the robbers’ cars, with some saying it was a gray sedan and others saying it was blue or black.
This year started poorly in the two CPD districts that patrol the West Town neighborhoods. Robbery reports climbed at a pace even faster than the enormous surge seen last year. However, cops made several arrests, and the neighborhoods have been relatively quiet.
But on November 22 and 23, teams of armed robbers committed at least five armed robberies and carjackings in Logan Square, the West Loop, and Ukrainian Village. The group only targeted women.
Backed with Monday’s crimes, there are concerns that the robbery teams may be back in action.
CPD is better prepared to handle robbery crews now than in recent years. The department, mainly in response to the previous robbery surges, created an effective intelligence center that can use the city’s camera and license plate reader networks to quickly identify vehicles likely involved in crime sprees as they unfold. That information is shared with units on the ground in real-time.
The department has also added a third helicopter to its fleet. While CPD has strict rules that essentially prohibit vehicle pursuits, the helicopters have proven to be invaluable resources capable of tracking getaway cars and identifying escape routes taken by suspects who bail out of the vehicles.
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