Armed robbery crews claim 14 more victims Wednesday — hours after politicians staged a street corner conversation about armed robberies
Perhaps someday they’ll replace listening and talking with action.
Here’s a run-down of last night’s crime spree:
At 9:57 p.m., three men displayed handguns and robbed a 23-year-old man on the 800 block of West Oakdale. They took his phone and wallet, CPD spokesperson Kellie Bartoli said. The robbers made the victim unlock his phone before they fled in the small compact car that they arrived in. Bartoli said the suspects are described as Black males between 18- and 25-years-old who stand 5’8″ to 6-feet tall, and weigh 140 to 160 pounds.
Around the same time, witnesses reported seeing two men with guns chasing a man near the intersection of Barry and Kenmore in Lakeview. A robbery victim later called 911 for help. He said four offenders, one of whom wore an orange ski mask, robbed him near his home, just down the street from Barry and Kenmore. The other robbers wore black ski masks. According to initial information, they are Black males who wore dark clothing and escaped in a small SUV.
Around 10 p.m., three men robbed a 27-year-old man at gunpoint as he walked on the 1200 block of West School, Bartoli said. They took the victim’s belongings and fled in a tan minivan. They were described as Black males between 15- and 20-years-old who stand 5’7″ to 5’10” tall and weigh 150 to 180 pounds. They wore hooded sweatshirts.
At 10:15 p.m., three men stepped out of a dark blue sedan and robbed a 25-year-old man on the 3200 block of North Lakewood. They held the man at gunpoint, took his phone and wallet, then fled, Bartoli said. They wore hoodies with face masks. One of their masks was orange and one of their guns had a green laser.
Around 10:20 p.m., four men jumped out of a blue hatchback and robbed a man on the 3200 block of North Southport. One of the offenders wore an orange mask. One of the group’s guns was equipped with a green laser.
Then, at 10:48 p.m., two men armed with handguns stepped out of a dark-colored Toyota Prius and robbed a man and woman who were walking on the 1300 block of West Wrightwood in Lincoln Park, Bartoli Said. They took a purse from the 32-year-old woman and fled the scene. One of the suspects had a gun with a laser attached.
About 20 minutes later, two men in their 50s were walking on the 400 block of West Barry when three men confronted them with handguns, according to Bartoli. The robbers went through the victims’ pockets and escaped with three phones and two wallets. Bartoli said the suspects in this hold-up are Black males between 15- and 20-years-old who stand 5’7″ to 5’9″ tall and weigh 130 to 140 pounds. They were wearing hooded sweatshirts.
Then, a 50—year-old man was robbed in Uptown by two men who displayed handguns on the 1400 block of West Leland at 11:35 p.m., Bartoli said. They demanded the man’s valuables and fled in a blue sedan. The robbers were described as Black males between 18- and 25-years-old who stand 5’6″ tall and weigh 150 to 170 pounds. They were wearing hoodies and face masks, Bartoli said.
At 11:50 p.m., two men armed with handguns robbed a 40-year-old man walking on the 2600 block of North Wilton in Lincoln Park. According to Bartoli, the offenders struck the man in his head several times, then took his headphones. They were described only as Black males between 15- and 20-years-old.
Finally, around midnight, a 30-year-old woman, a 20-year-old man, and a 25-year-old man were robbed at gunpoint near the intersection of Wilson and Broadway in Uptown. Three men, one armed with a gun equipped with a green laser, pushed the victims, pistol-whipped two of them, and took their valuables. One of the offenders wore an orange mask and all three of them displayed guns. A fourth offender waited in a nearby SUV.
Area Three detectives are investigating all of the robberies — along with at least 40 more that have gone unsolved since early November.