Days after Chicago police warned about gunmen robbing women of jewelry on the streets of Lincoln Park, CPD has issued a similar community alert for Little Italy. But so far, police have not publicly linked the two crime patterns to the same criminals.
Over the weekend, two women were robbed at gunpoint within minutes of each other in Lincoln Park by men who police believe also robbed a third woman earlier in the week. None of the women were physically injured, but all were threatened with firearms and had jewelry or other valuables taken as they walked along neighborhood streets.
The first Lincoln Park robbery occurred Thursday, September 17, in the 300 block of West Webster Avenue. The victim, who works at a residential building, was on a break around 2:15 p.m. when a robber approached her and put a gun to her face, according to a witness. The woman handed over her valuables before running into a nearby school to get help. The robber fled west through an alley while wearing a mask, police said.
Then, Sunday at 3:33 p.m. in the 2200 block of North Halsted Street, a witness reported seeing a man point a gun at a woman, who handed over her valuables before dumping her belongings and running away to get help.
About 12 minutes later, another woman was targeted as she walked in the 1800 block of North Larrabee Street. The robber took two engagement rings and two necklaces valued at more than $5,000, police said. The woman ran to a nearby fire station for help. Police later recovered the woman’s phone at Oz Park, a few blocks away. Investigators believe the robbers dumped it there.
An officer who spoke with witnesses Sunday said two men were involved in the robberies and appeared to use a vehicle to get around. Both men wore masks, but one appeared to have facial tattoos. CPD described one suspect as a heavyset Black man, approximately 5-foot-10 to 5-foot-11, wearing a gray ski mask, black T-shirt and black pants. The second was described as a Black man with a medium build who was wearing a black mask and dark hooded sweatshirt.
Now, police are warning about similar holdups in Little Italy that occurred between late July and earlier this month. As in the Lincoln Park robberies, the victims were walking alone when a gunman confronted them and demanded their jewelry, according to a newly released community alert.
Unlike the Lincoln Park robberies, which occurred in the middle of the afternoon, the Little Italy holdups were reported during early morning and late-night hours. The pattern began July 30 around 6:30 a.m. in the 1200 block of West Taylor Street. The second robbery occurred August 25 at 10:18 p.m. in the 1000 block of South Lytle Street. Most recently, a woman was robbed around 11:26 p.m. September 2 in the 1000 block of South Racine Avenue, the new alert said.
Police described the Little Italy robber as a Black man in his 30s or 40s with dreadlocks or braided hair.
Tips about the Little Italy robberies can be shared with Area 3 detectives at 312-744-8263. The Lincoln Park crime pattern is P26-3-030, while the Little Italy pattern is P26-3-033.
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