Chicago police have charged a 16-year-old boy in connection with the armed takeover robbery of a downtown diner last month, and they say he was part of a crew that has terrorized people and businesses across the city since January.
The boy, whose identity was not released because he is a juvenile, is charged with three counts of armed robbery with a firearm, one count of aggravated vehicular hijacking with a firearm, and two counts of burglary.
According to CPD, his crime spree began during the early morning hours of January 3 in Lakeview when he robbed a 40-year-old man in the 3000 block of North Ashland Avenue. Later that same morning, he was allegedly part of a burglary crew that broke into businesses in the 2600 block of North Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Park and the 3100 block of North Broadway in Lakeview.
By April, his crimes escalated to armed robbery sprees.
Around 12:20 a.m. on April 23, he joined accomplices to carjack a 45-year-old woman at gunpoint in the 1100 block of North Harding Avenue, police said. Investigators believe the crew used the victim’s stolen Infiniti sedan in the crimes that followed.
At 3:13 a.m., three armed men entered Griddle 24, 334 West Chicago Avenue, and announced a robbery, according to police. The offenders displayed handguns and a rifle before moving through the diner and robbing customers and employees of cash, phones, and other belongings. A 56-year-old man, a 63-year-old man, a 64-year-old man, and a woman whose age was available were among the victims.
During the robbery, one of the gunmen allegedly struck a 23-year-old man in the back of the head with a firearm. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in good condition. No other injuries were reported.
Just eight minutes later, at 3:21 a.m., three masked men entered the 7-Eleven in Logan Square, police said. Authorities said the group displayed two handguns and a compact rifle while demanding money from a 59-year-old employee. They allegedly emptied two cash registers and stole cigarettes before fleeing.
Detectives believe the same stolen Infiniti used in the earlier carjacking was also used as the getaway vehicle in both robberies.
Police did release details about how detectives identified the teen and linked him to all of the crimes.
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