CHICAGO — An armed robbery crew claimed at least five victims during a 30-minute spree late Wednesday night. So far, no arrests have been announced by Chicago police.
It started around 11 p.m. in the 2200 block of West Charleston in Bucktown. A man was heading to work when a black car pulled up, and two masked men emerged. They robbed him at gunpoint of his backpack, which contained a computer, and fled, according to preliminary information.
Then, around 11:30 p.m. armed men tried to rob and carjack a man in the 2000 block of West Ohio. The victim had just exited his car and was walking toward his home when a black car pulled up. Two robbers displayed a gun and took his valuables. They tried to take his car, too, but that effort failed. A resident took pictures of the getaway car and posted them to the Ring network.
A few minutes later, two men in the 1000 block of North Paulina robbed a woman in a similar manner. Once again, they took the victim’s bag. However, hers only contained a gym towel, shoes, and a water bottle.
In a fourth incident, a man called 911 after he was targeted in an attempted robbery on the corner of Western and Medill around 11:30 p.m. He said he was walking to a nearby bar when a man got out of a black sedan, displayed a gun, and ordered him to hand over his wallet. The robbery failed, and the would-be victim continued his travels to the bar. He decided not to file a police report.
Finally, a robbery occurred in the 1600 block of West Grand around 11:45 p.m. Two armed men took his wallet and then fled in a black car.
The victims offered varying descriptions of the suspects, but most of them told police that one robber was a Black male and the other a Hispanic male. The one believed to be Black was said to be taller, about 6’2”, while the other was 5’10” or so. They both wore dark clothing.
UPDATE: On February 21, CPD released the following community alert about the robbery spree:
PATTERN # 25-CWP-011
ABOUT THE CRIME – ARMED ROBBERIES
This alert gives notice to communities of the 012th (Near West) and 014th Districts (Shakespeare) of Armed Robberies. In these incidents, the victims are approached by the offenders, who exit a 4 Door Silver Sedan with Illinois License Plate of CF44541, point black semi-automatic weapons with blue laser lights at the victim’s, and demand their personal property. In one of the incidents, the offenders threw one of the victims to the ground.
INCIDENT TIME AND LOCATION
- 2200 Block of W Charleston St on February 19, 2025 @ 11:00 PM (Bucktown)
- 2000 Block of W Ohio St on February 19, 2025 @ 11:30 PM (East Village)
- 1000 Block of N Paulina St on February 19, 2025 @ 11:33 PM (Noble Square)
- 1600 Block of W Grand Ave on February 19, 2025 @ 11:45 PM (East Village)
OFFENDER DESCRIPTION
One Male, approximately 6’00, armed with firearm, 20-30 years of age, wearing black ski mask
One undetermined offender, approximately 5’00, 20-30 years of age, wearing black ski mask
WHAT YOU CAN DO
- Be aware of your surroundings and unfamiliar or suspicious people in your area.
- Walk with groups of individuals and do not carry large sums of money.
- Do not try to rationalize with, run away from, or confront the offenders as it could lead to possible injury or your safety.
- Park in well-lit areas and in areas where there is pedestrian and vehicular traffic
- Call 911 immediately if you are a victim or witness to a crime and provide a detailed description of the offender(s) and involved vehicles.
If you have any information, please contact Area Three Detectives at (312) 744-8263 and/or Area Five Detectives at (312)-746-7394 or you can submit an anonymous tip at CPDTIP.com Please reference # 25-CWP-011 when submitting information
