Armed robbery crew hits River North and Streeterville again, adding to string of at least 15 holdups
Chicago Police Investigating Armed Robberies in River North and Streeterville
Chicago police are currently investigating at least two armed robberies that occurred in the early hours of Saturday in the River North and Streeterville areas. These incidents have raised concerns as they align with the areas where authorities have been warning about a brazen robbery crew operating since early April.
The first robbery took place around 2:05 a.m. in the 200 block of East Ohio Street. A 31-year-old man was targeted while sitting inside a vehicle. Two armed men approached him, displayed handguns, stole his personal belongings, and fled in a black sedan, possibly a Honda Civic, as reported by a Chicago Police Department spokesperson.
Approximately two hours later, at 4 a.m., another robbery was reported near the intersection of Clark and Ohio streets in River North. The victim in this case recounted that two armed, masked men brandished at least one firearm, took his iPhone and a silver chain, and escaped in a black sedan.
These recent incidents are consistent with the pattern identified by CPD in recent weeks, where a kidnapping and robbery crew has been targeting nightlife areas downtown and near Wrigley Field since April 5, victimizing at least 15 individuals.
The crew’s modus operandi extends beyond typical street robberies. They approach victims in crowded nightlife spots, forcibly take their phones and other belongings, and then use the stolen devices for unauthorized financial transactions. In some cases, victims were coerced into the crew’s vehicle, where offenders conducted fraudulent banking activities on their phones while driving around, according to a CPD alert.
The crew was notably active on May 17, carrying out three robberies: one in the 3600 block of North Clark Street in Wrigleyville around 2 a.m., followed by two more in River North, one in the 600 block of North La Salle around 4 a.m., and another in the first block of East Ohio Street around 4:45 a.m.
The series of incidents began on April 5 with a robbery in the 100 block of West Ontario Street at 12:35 a.m. Subsequent robberies were reported in various locations including Wrigleyville and River North, with the crew also linked to other cases in different parts of the city.
Authorities have described the suspects as up to four Black men aged between 25 and 40, with heights ranging from 5-foot-6 to 6-foot-5 and weights from 140 to 250 pounds. The crew has been observed using multiple vehicles, including a dark-colored SUV, a silver four-door sedan, a dark-colored four-door sedan, and a black BMW SUV.
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