A violent armed robbery crew that has been terrorizing Chicago’s Near West Side neighborhoods over the past three days is now linked to at least eight holdups—and police say the offenders are showing no signs of stopping.
In several cases, the robbers demanded phone passcodes and resorted to violence, pistol-whipping their targets before fleeing.
The most recent attack unfolded just before 11:20 a.m. Friday, when three people—two men, ages 32 and 46, and a 43-year-old woman—were robbed at gunpoint while sitting in a red car in the 300 block of North Laflin in the West Loop.
A nearby surveillance camera captured the entire scene: A gray Infiniti Q50 backed into a parking spot in front of the victims’ vehicle. Seconds later, two masked men jumped out, sprinted to both sides of the victims’ car, and ordered them to hand over their belongings. The robbers made off with the victims’ items and fled southbound on Laflin. No injuries were reported.
Roughly an hour earlier, in Logan Square, a 32-year-old woman was standing near an alley in the 2700 block of North Milwaukee when a dark-colored sedan pulled up beside her around 10:15 a.m. Three masked men armed with guns jumped out and demanded her property. She complied, and the trio fled northbound through the alley. Like the Laflin robbery, the woman was not injured.
By Saturday afternoon, Chicago police had issued a second community alert, linking both of those robberies to a string of similar incidents stretching back to early Thursday morning.
The spree began around 7 a.m. Thursday in West Town, where a woman was walking in the 1400 block of West Carroll when three masked men jumped out of a sedan. Without warning, they pistol-whipped her twice in the head and robbed her at gunpoint. The offenders fled with her phone and purse.
Roughly three hours later, around 10 a.m., two people were targeted inside a parking garage at Rush University Medical Center in the 1500 block of West Harrison. Police said two men dressed entirely in black, both armed with handguns, confronted the victims on the garage’s ground floor and stole a Coach bag and maroon backpack before fleeing in a car matching the same description.
On Friday morning, the robbers returned to West Town. Around 7:40 a.m., a man was held up in the 1200 block of West Carroll by three masked offenders—two of them armed—who fled in a gray sedan after taking valuables from the victim. Just 40 minutes later, at 8:21 a.m., two men wearing ski masks jumped out of a similar car and threatened a woman with firearms. In that case, the robbery was unsuccessful, and the suspects fled empty-handed.
They struck again less than an hour later—twice. At 9:14 a.m., a victim was robbed in the 800 block of West Blackhawk. Twelve minutes after that, a second robbery attempt occurred in the 900 block of West Weed Street near Goose Island. In both cases, the same stolen gray Infiniti was used, and the suspects matched the descriptions from previous attacks.
In all, police say the offenders—believed to be two to four Black males between 16 and 25 years old—are using a stolen gray Infiniti Q50 and swapping out stolen license plates to avoid detection. Victims have reported that the robbers often wear dark hooded sweatshirts and black ski masks.
CPD reiterated its standard safety guidance in the community alert: Do not resist during a robbery. Try to observe physical details about the offenders—such as scars, limps, or unique clothing—but do not pursue them. If you witness an incident, stay on the scene and provide information to police.
Anyone with information about the robberies is urged to contact Area Three detectives at 312-744-8263 or submit an anonymous tip at CPDTIP.com in reference to crime pattern #P25-3-032.
