HERE'S ANOTHER REPORTED GHETTO ATTACK
More than a dozen young men attacked a person Saturday night in the Streeterville neighborhood outside a building on Northwestern University's downtown campus, according to an alert issued by the university.
Seven people thought to be part of that group, mostly youth, were arrested on "mob action charges" when Chicago police and Northwestern police responded, according to police News Affairs Officer Amina Greer.
About 8:30 p.m., the victim had parked his motor scooter outside the building on Chicago Avenue, a little west of Lake Shore Drive, when about 15 to 20 males--believed to be in their mid-to-late teens--approached him, according to the alert, which categorized the incident as an attempted robbery. One of the males in that group threw a baseball at the victim's face and knocked him to the ground, the alert stated.
Several others from the group allegedly punched and hit the victim several times. The victim tried to protect himself and fought back.
The victim was treated on the scene by paramedics, the alert added, but he couldn't provide descriptions of the young men who attacked him.
In mid May, Chicago police said they were implementing strategies to address mob action incidents or flash mobs--which are often coordinated through cell phone texting or social networkng Web sites--in the downtown areas. Police, however, have stressed that this phenomenon, involving large groups of teens, "is not unique to Chicago."
Other recent mob action or flash mob incidents downtown include one in April, when a group of about 70 youths stormed a McDonald's restaurant on Dearborn Street and Chicago, and created a disturbance. The restaurant was closed for nearly three hours.
In February, Loyola University warned its Water Tower campus students and staffers about "flash mob offenders," who would exit from Chicago Avenue's CTA Red Line station and allegedly steal items from retail stores around the campus.
"The Chicago Police Department has adjusted resources to address this issue, and officers are on alert for large groups of roving teens in the downtown area," the department said last month. "Parents should be aware of where their children are and what they are doing. The department and affected businesses will work together to fully prosecute individuals who are arrested in connection with this criminal activity."
Saturday's attack happened in the Near North police district, which includes areas such of downtown such as Streeterville, the Gold Coast and the Magnificent Mile.
Crime statistics for those particular portions of the district weren't immediately available early this morning. But districtwide numbers show were 141 robberies between January and the end of April compared to 128 during the same time period the year before, a 10.2-percent spike.
Although police have said retail theft is down by nearly 2 percent in the district between January and the end of April, there was an increase of at least 10 percent in juvenile shoplifting arrests.
ROBBERY OCCURED IN THE 18th DISTRICT Beat 1833
(Jan. 1, 2011-mAY 27, 2011)
Aggravated Battery- 4
Simple Battery- 42
Shooting- 0
Homicide- 0
Drug Arrests- 14
Robbery- 17
Gun Arrests-0
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