Authorities are considering the possibility that a robbery gang might be back in action in a Chicago area that previously endured nearly nightly armed robbery sprees over several months.
This concern arises after a series of robberies and attempted robberies on Thursday and Friday mornings that mirrored earlier patterns: masked individuals, stolen or getaway cars, firearms, and victims targeted on streets or at ATMs.
Between 2022 and 2024, groups of armed and masked robbers, typically teenage males, drove through neighborhoods in stolen vehicles, then emerged to commit armed robberies. They often targeted individuals withdrawing money from ATMs, taking cash and occasionally forcing additional withdrawals. Now, detectives are on alert for indications that such a crew might be resuming activity.
At approximately 6 a.m. on Thursday, an attempted robbery occurred near Polk and Wolcott streets. A woman reported to UIC police that three men in black face masks approached her. A bystander urged her to escape, and she successfully fled, leaving the would-be robbers to drive off in a white, four-door sedan without any loot.
Around 45 minutes later, another woman was robbed at gunpoint while walking her dog near Taylor and Lytle streets in University Village. The assailant, described as a Black male approximately 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds, wearing a hoodie and black mask, stole three rings, including a wedding band.
Later, at about 8 a.m., a group of robbers emerged from a white SUV and assaulted another victim in the 1100 block of North Keystone Avenue in Humboldt Park. The victim reported that as many as seven robbers were involved; around four appeared to be armed, while others searched him. They stole his phone, keys, and cash.
Approximately 15 minutes after that, two armed men carjacked a man in the 4500 block of West Fulton Street in West Garfield Park. The suspects, armed with guns, took his gray Toyota Highlander and fled, followed by another vehicle. Police later found the Highlander in the 4100 block of West Jackson Boulevard. Officers were advised to be on the lookout for two Black males in black masks, one wearing a pink hoodie, black sweatpants, and black shoes, while the other wore a black hoodie, black pants, and black shoes.
Early Friday morning, at around 4:30 a.m., another robbery took place. Three men exited a white, four-door sedan and robbed an individual withdrawing money from an ATM near Cermak Road and Damen Avenue in the Lower West Side. The robbers were identified as Black males dressed in all-black attire.
The CPD has not officially connected these incidents to a single group. However, the recent flurry of activity has prompted concerns that detectives might be investigating a new series of spree-style robberies.
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