Chicago Police have arrested a 24-year-old man, Larry Countee, in connection with a series of armed robberies that occurred in Lakeview, Old Town, and Edgewater on May 18. Countee, who has been arrested 15 times since becoming an adult in 2019, is facing three felony counts of armed robbery with a firearm and one count of attempted armed robbery with a firearm.
According to authorities, Countee allegedly participated in four robberies that took place within a span of 90 minutes. The first robbery occurred at 1:00 a.m. near Southport Avenue and Roscoe Street, where a 22-year-old man was robbed at gunpoint by two individuals who fled in a vehicle. The victim managed to seek shelter in a nearby gangway until police arrived.
At 1:12 a.m., a 25-year-old woman was robbed near her home on West Grace Street. The robbers, one of whom was wearing a ski mask, took her phone and other belongings before forcing her to unlock the device. They then fled the scene in a white car. Additionally, a 22-year-old woman was robbed on North Sedgwick Street at 1:30 a.m., and a 39-year-old woman was targeted on West Berwyn Avenue at 2:30 a.m.
Countee had been wanted since August 2024 for failing to appear in court on a pending charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. His accomplice in the robberies was on probation for a weapons case at the time and has since been arrested multiple times for misdemeanor offenses. Countee is currently being held for violating pretrial release conditions in his previous gun case and has not yet appeared in court on the new robbery charges.
CWBChicago, a local news outlet focused on public safety reporting, provided original coverage of these incidents. Founded in 2013 by residents of Wrigleyville and Boystown, CWBChicago has expanded its coverage area to include Lincoln Park, River North, The Loop, Uptown, and other North Side areas. The outlet aims to deliver accurate and detailed reporting on public safety issues that may not be covered by mainstream media outlets.
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