Chicago police have issued their third warning in three days about the armed robbery crews that are actively prowling neighborhoods from the West Loop to the West Side. Robbery sprees have been occurring repeatedly in the area since November 22, but CPD is only now telling the public about the problem.
Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th) pointed to the robberies as another reason he believes CPD should open a satellite station for the Near West (12th) District.
One robbery crew has “targeted people walking their dogs and in the street—taking phones, wallets, purses, and other valuables,” Villegas said. “Since the closure of the old 13th [District] station at 937 N. Wood St, there has been a gap in coverage and patrols.”
“I reiterate our calls to Mayor Johnson’s administration to reopen the facility to increase police response times and presence. Enough is enough; our 36th Ward residents deserve to be safe.”
CPD’s latest alert, issued Tuesday, warns about six robberies that occurred in under three hours on December 27. Two or three robbers jumped out of a stolen white Kia Optima to rob victims at gunpoint on the street, the warning said. The crew pistol-whipped some of the victims.
The alert links the following robberies to the same group of people:
- 1000 block of North California at 3:55 p.m.
- 800 block of North Cicero at 5:35 p.m.
- 2200 block of West Taylor at 5:45 p.m.
- 500 block of West North Avenue at 6:07 p.m.
- 2100 block of North Sheffield at 6:20 p.m.
- 1600 block of West Fullerton around 6:23 p.m.
- 1200 block of West Fullerton at 6:30 p.m.
CWBChicago reported on the morning after the robberies that police recovered the stolen getaway car in Avondale. While the community alert did not include descriptions of the suspects, we reported that the victims generally described the robbers as Black males in their mid- to late teens wearing dark clothing.
On Monday, detectives issued a separate warning about three holdups that occurred on the morning of Friday, January 3.
“Three male African American offenders arrive in a stolen vehicle and exit armed with handguns and take all personal property from [the] victim, then re-enter the vehicle and make good in their getaway,” the alert said. CPD said the robbers were between 17 and 23 and wore black hoodies, black pants, and black ski masks.
The robberies occurred in the 1200 block of West Randolph at 5:38 a.m.; the 700 block of North May at 6:20 a.m.; and the 100 block of North Western at 7 a.m. CWBChicago’s coverage of the robberies is available here.
CPD issued its first warning about the robberies on Sunday. It linked the Randolph, May, and Western robberies to two additional robberies that morning in the 300 block of North Avers and the 3200 block of West Lake.
On Sunday morning, about 12 hours before CPD issued its first alert, another robbery spree swept across Bucktown, the West Loop, and other Near West Side neighborhoods. A 77-year-old woman and a 75-year-old man were among the victims.
Previous reporting
On New Year’s Eve, at least six people were robbed during a one-hour crime spree across Humboldt Park and Ukrainian Village. And on December 29, six robberies were reported between Humboldt Park and the West Loop. While police stopped a vehicle suspected of being involved in the crimes, the only charges filed against its occupants were for drug possession. At least seven people were robbed on Friday, December 27, during a two-hour crime spree that started on the West Side and then moved into Old Town and Lincoln Park. And at least five people were robbed during a 45-minute spree the following evening.
From late Christmas Eve into Christmas morning, three armed robberies were reported in Bucktown, Lincoln Park, and Avondale. At least nine people were mugged during a string of armed robberies last Saturday evening, December 21. On Monday, December 9, at least seven people, including an off-duty FBI agent, were robbed during a string of similar robberies in Bucktown, Humboldt Park, and West Town. And 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.
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